I guess I'll try this. I'm going to try the NHL's live video stream, but my internet connection isn't quite strong enough to handle video, so we'll see how long that sticks.
6:08- It looks like Jim Balsillie won't get his NHL team in Hamilton. Yippee.
6:10-The Blackhawks could probably get some serious eBay money for the jerseys of the two guys they don't pick.
6:11-Bob McKenzie is pretty confident that Pat Kane will be the first pick. Kyle Turris got to meet his idol, Steve Yzerman, which is pretty cool.
6:12-It looks like Columbus has drawn a pretty nice crowd for this. The TSN guy just made a reference to "Maggie the Monkey". This is way better than ESPN's draft coverage.
6:17-My video is really choppy. Chicago is on the clock.
6:20-And the first pick is............Pat Kane. The second American in a row. Congratulations, Mr. Kane.
6:26-Everyone is talking about Kane having the chance to play right away next season. I think that was probably one of the deciding factors for the Hawks over van Riemsdyk and Turris, who will hopefully be playing college hockey next season.
6:27-Philly is at the podium and selects..........James van Riemsdyk. Another American. That's pretty cool, and a nice feather in the cap of the NTDP program.
6:30-I think my video is pretty much dead for now. Sad.
6:36-Kyle Turris goes third to Phoenix. I think he'll play at least a year at Wisconsin, possibly two. I'm 3 for 3 with my mock draft. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.
6:38-LA's GM is going up to the podium. He didn't pass any mirrors, so I couldn't check for a reflection. LA selects........Thomas Hickey. Wow. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off the board. Interesting.
6:43-Well, I suppose I expected things to get crazy. This should make things even more interesting. I guess if you can't trade down to the middle of the first round, you may as well take your middle of the first round pick early.
6:45-The Kings did try to move down, but like I said Wednesday, I didn't see anyone dying to get that 4th pick. The LA guy looks defeated.
6:49-Washington is up next. They keep showing Cherepanov, who came to the draft fully mulleted. Washington selects.................Karl Alzner. It sounded like he was going to take Sam Gagner, then he switched midway through and took Alzner. Odd.
6:53-Pierre McGuire is skeptical that JVR will go to New Hampshire, and cites UNH's lack of development of pros. Ouch.
6:55-Edmonton is coming up to the podium. Edmonton selects.........Sam Gagner. Very nice pick.
6:58-Hometown Columbus is up. Voracek maybe?
7:00-The overheard camera shot is not flattering for Dave Gagner.
7:02-Four of the top six picks will play at least one season in the US. That's pretty cool.
7:03-A lot of enthusiasm in Columbus. That's pretty cool. Columbus selects..........Jakub Voracek. Not a bad pick. He's the first European-born player to be selected.
7:07-People are saying Columbus wanted someone else, but basically had to take Voracek since he slipped. Basically, they got Voracek because LA couldn't trade their pick and had to take Hickey.
7:10-The Bruins are up next. Cherepanov looks like a stupid pick, so that's probably who they'll pick.
Cam Neely selects.........Zach Hamill. Interesting. He dropped quite a bit this past year, but I think he's got a lot of talent. This shakes things up a little bit more.
7:15-San Jose selects........Logan Couture. Another kid who slipped a little this past year.
7:23-They keep talking about Cherepanov falling. That seems to be the big story. Florida is up next.
Florida selects.......Keaton Ellerby. They had to be pretty happy that he was still available at number 10.
7:26-Pierre McGuire doesn't care if you can't sign Cherepanov. You should still draft him. Apparently he's so good that he can score goals all the way from Russia.
7:30-Carolina selects............Brandon Sutter. Probably one of the better forwards still available, which Carolina kind of needed, though they also need some young defenseman, so I'm not sure why they passed on the defense.
Still no Cherepanov. This is like Kyle Woodlief's dream.
7:35-Montreal passes over the local kid in Esposito and takes their second straight Mr. Hockey winner in Ryan McDonagh. I think McDonagh will be a great player someday.
7:39-John Davidson steps out of his tanning booth to make St. Louis' pick. I guess the Blues are my new favorite NHL team. St. Louis selects..........Lars Eller. I don't know much about Eller, so I'm not sure how I feel about that.
7:44-Colorado is up next. They select...........Kevin Shattenkirk. Good for him. Everyone I've talked to you says he's a great kid. He's pretty talented too.
7:50-Edmonton picks next. They already have Sam Gagner. Edmonton selects..........Alex Plante. I saw Planet all over the place. Edmonton may have been able to get him with their next first round pick, but they really liked him, I guess.
7:53-Vancouver apparently tried really hard to get Kyle Turris. They can go commiserate with the Vancouver Giants.
7:54-Anaheim trades pick 16 to Minnesota for picks 19 and 42 of this year. Minnesota is on the clock.
7:55-Minnesota selects...........Colton Gillies. Hey, the Wild got a grinder. I think they're lacking those. I think that one day, they'll figure out how to score less than zero goals in a game.
8:02-New York Rangers select.....Alexei Cherepanov. Now we don't have to hear about him, or look at his awful anymore.
8:09-St. Louis selects...........Ian Cole. A bit of a reach, but I really like this pick. Cole is a nice player, and something that STL needs.
I'm giving up on the live-blogging until later. See you then.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
2007 NHL Mock Draft
Here is my Mock Draft for the first round of this year's NHL Draft.
1. Chicago Blackhawks: Pat Kane, Forward, London Knights(OHL)
Kyle Turris is also a possibility. When I first saw Kane play two years ago, my first thought was that he reminded me of Brendan Morrison. If he lives up to the hype, he could be even better.
2. Philadelphia: James van Riemsdyk, Forward, US NTDP
JVR is big, talented, and a fairly local kid since he hails from New Jersey.
3. Phoenix: Kyle Turris, Forward, Burnaby Express(BCHL)
Phoenix will probably run to the podium to select whichever one of the top three fall to them, unless the guy they really want is already drafted, in which case, another team with a lot of picks will try to trade up.
4. Los Angeles: Karl Alzner, Defenseman, Calgary Hitmen(WHL)
People have mentioned the possibility of LA trading down, but is anyone really going to be clamoring to get this pick? The Kings would like another defenseman and they’ll take the best available.
5. Washington: Alexei Cherepanov, Forward Omsk(Russia)
This is where things get crazy. If the Caps select anyone short of me, I won’t be surprised. I went with Cherepanov since I think he might have the most upside
6. Edmonton: Jakub Voracek, Forward Halifax Mooseheads(QMJHL)
Almost everyone seems to have Voracek here, so I’ll be a sheep. The Oilers could try to move up since they’ve got a couple first round picks to work with.
7. Columbus: Keaton Ellerby, Defenseman Kamloops Blazers(WHL)
Conventional wisdom seems to have Columbus taking a defenseman. I think Ellerby will be the second one to go.
8. Boston: Sam Gagner, Forward, London Knights(OHL)
I think this would be a nice steal for the Bruins. Gagner is probably more talented than he’s been credited for.
9. St. Louis: Ryan McDonagh, Defenseman Cretin-Derham Hall(USHSW)
Instead of waiting until their later first round picks to get a defenseman, St. Louis grabs an extremely talented player early on, and then will gamble on forwards later on.
10. Florida: Kevin Shattenkirk, Defenseman, US NTDP
I don’t really like anybody in this spot. There’s a lot of talented players, but none that seem to fit Florida’s needs. Florida desperately needs a goalie, but there’s none to be had this early, so they may try to trade down with somebody who really wants one of the good centers available.
11. Carolina: Brandon Sutter, Forward, Red Deer Rebels(WHL)
Carolina mortgaged their future for their Stanley Cup run two years ago, so they need lots of help to refill their prospect pool. They’ll take the best player available.
12. Montreal: Angelo Esposito, Forward, Quebec Remparts(QMJHL)
This seems like kind of a no-brainer if Esposito does indeed last this long.
13. Toronto: Logan Couture, Forward, Ottawa 67’s(OHL)
Another fairly local player that has dropped a little bit.
14. Colorado: Lars Eller, Forward, Frolunda(Sweden)
Eller is Danish. I find that funnier than I probably should.
15. Edmonton: Max Pacioretty, Sioux City Musketeers(USHL)
The third piece of the Ryan Smyth trade is a prototypical power forward to replace Smyth.
16. Anaheim: Jonathon Blum, Defenseman, Vancouver Giants(WHL)
Maybe a bit of a reach, but the Ducks need some new blood on defense, and Blum is a Southern California kid.
17. New York Rangers: Mikael Backlund, Forward, Vasteras(Sweden)
He’s another kid that has dropped a lot over the past couple of months. This is probably low enough that the Rangers will be willing to gamble.
18. Calgary: Colton Gillies, Forward, Saskatoon Blades(WHL)
I would not be shocked to see Calgary take any WHL player here.
19. Minnesota: David Perron, Forward, Lewiston Maineiacs(QMJHL)
The Wild will try to add a little skill and flash to go with their legions of grinders. Plus, he plays in the Q, which automatically bumps him up a couple spots on the Wild’s board.
20. Pittsburgh: Maxim Mayorov, Forward, Leninogorsk(Russia)
The Penguins already have some excellent young talent. They’ll take the gamble on being able to sign Mayorov for the potential to have the most exciting forward corps in the NHL.
21. Phoenix: Tommy Cross, Defenseman, Westminster Prep(USHSE)
A lot of good defensive prospects here, but I think Phoenix will go with Cross.
22. Montreal: Nick Petrecki, Defenseman, Omaha Lancers(USHL)
Montreal likes American prospects, and should be pleased that either Petrecki or Cross will be available here.
23. Nashville: Thomas Hickey, Defenseman, Seattle Thunderbirds(WHL)
A bit of a drop for Hickey. He could easily swap positions with Kevin Shattenkirk
24. St. Louis: Zach Hamill, Forward, Everett Silvertips(WHL)
The Blues took a bit of a gamble taking a defenseman with their first pick, but it pays off with a talented offensive player still available at 24.
25. Vancouver: Brett MacLean, Forward, Oshawa Generals(OHL)
MacLean is probably the best player available at this point
26. St. Louis: Oscar Moller, Forward, Chilliwack Chiefs(WHL)
I’d be kind of surprised if St. Louis kept all three first round picks, but if they do, I think they’d try for another forward that can score.
27. Detroit: Billy Sweat, Forward, Colorado College(WCHA)
In honor of the Blog That Yost Built, I wanted to say Detroit would select “the best available Jiri or Tomas” I don’t think they should pass on Sweatt though, who looks like he’ll be able to contribute at the NHL level some day, and who I think has more offensive ability than he is credited for.
28. Washington: Logan MacMillan, Forward, Halifax Mooseheads(QMJHL)
MacMillan is a safer choice after the Caps gambled on Cherepanov.
29. Ottawa: Riley Nash, Forward, Salmon Arm Silverbacks(BCHL)
*shrug* I’ll take a shot at a wildcard in the draft.
30. Edmonton: Tyson Sexsmith, Goalie, Vancouver Giants(WHL)
We can’t go the entire first round without a goalie. If Edmonton keeps all of their picks, I think they’ll take the first goalie of the draft.
1. Chicago Blackhawks: Pat Kane, Forward, London Knights(OHL)
Kyle Turris is also a possibility. When I first saw Kane play two years ago, my first thought was that he reminded me of Brendan Morrison. If he lives up to the hype, he could be even better.
2. Philadelphia: James van Riemsdyk, Forward, US NTDP
JVR is big, talented, and a fairly local kid since he hails from New Jersey.
3. Phoenix: Kyle Turris, Forward, Burnaby Express(BCHL)
Phoenix will probably run to the podium to select whichever one of the top three fall to them, unless the guy they really want is already drafted, in which case, another team with a lot of picks will try to trade up.
4. Los Angeles: Karl Alzner, Defenseman, Calgary Hitmen(WHL)
People have mentioned the possibility of LA trading down, but is anyone really going to be clamoring to get this pick? The Kings would like another defenseman and they’ll take the best available.
5. Washington: Alexei Cherepanov, Forward Omsk(Russia)
This is where things get crazy. If the Caps select anyone short of me, I won’t be surprised. I went with Cherepanov since I think he might have the most upside
6. Edmonton: Jakub Voracek, Forward Halifax Mooseheads(QMJHL)
Almost everyone seems to have Voracek here, so I’ll be a sheep. The Oilers could try to move up since they’ve got a couple first round picks to work with.
7. Columbus: Keaton Ellerby, Defenseman Kamloops Blazers(WHL)
Conventional wisdom seems to have Columbus taking a defenseman. I think Ellerby will be the second one to go.
8. Boston: Sam Gagner, Forward, London Knights(OHL)
I think this would be a nice steal for the Bruins. Gagner is probably more talented than he’s been credited for.
9. St. Louis: Ryan McDonagh, Defenseman Cretin-Derham Hall(USHSW)
Instead of waiting until their later first round picks to get a defenseman, St. Louis grabs an extremely talented player early on, and then will gamble on forwards later on.
10. Florida: Kevin Shattenkirk, Defenseman, US NTDP
I don’t really like anybody in this spot. There’s a lot of talented players, but none that seem to fit Florida’s needs. Florida desperately needs a goalie, but there’s none to be had this early, so they may try to trade down with somebody who really wants one of the good centers available.
11. Carolina: Brandon Sutter, Forward, Red Deer Rebels(WHL)
Carolina mortgaged their future for their Stanley Cup run two years ago, so they need lots of help to refill their prospect pool. They’ll take the best player available.
12. Montreal: Angelo Esposito, Forward, Quebec Remparts(QMJHL)
This seems like kind of a no-brainer if Esposito does indeed last this long.
13. Toronto: Logan Couture, Forward, Ottawa 67’s(OHL)
Another fairly local player that has dropped a little bit.
14. Colorado: Lars Eller, Forward, Frolunda(Sweden)
Eller is Danish. I find that funnier than I probably should.
15. Edmonton: Max Pacioretty, Sioux City Musketeers(USHL)
The third piece of the Ryan Smyth trade is a prototypical power forward to replace Smyth.
16. Anaheim: Jonathon Blum, Defenseman, Vancouver Giants(WHL)
Maybe a bit of a reach, but the Ducks need some new blood on defense, and Blum is a Southern California kid.
17. New York Rangers: Mikael Backlund, Forward, Vasteras(Sweden)
He’s another kid that has dropped a lot over the past couple of months. This is probably low enough that the Rangers will be willing to gamble.
18. Calgary: Colton Gillies, Forward, Saskatoon Blades(WHL)
I would not be shocked to see Calgary take any WHL player here.
19. Minnesota: David Perron, Forward, Lewiston Maineiacs(QMJHL)
The Wild will try to add a little skill and flash to go with their legions of grinders. Plus, he plays in the Q, which automatically bumps him up a couple spots on the Wild’s board.
20. Pittsburgh: Maxim Mayorov, Forward, Leninogorsk(Russia)
The Penguins already have some excellent young talent. They’ll take the gamble on being able to sign Mayorov for the potential to have the most exciting forward corps in the NHL.
21. Phoenix: Tommy Cross, Defenseman, Westminster Prep(USHSE)
A lot of good defensive prospects here, but I think Phoenix will go with Cross.
22. Montreal: Nick Petrecki, Defenseman, Omaha Lancers(USHL)
Montreal likes American prospects, and should be pleased that either Petrecki or Cross will be available here.
23. Nashville: Thomas Hickey, Defenseman, Seattle Thunderbirds(WHL)
A bit of a drop for Hickey. He could easily swap positions with Kevin Shattenkirk
24. St. Louis: Zach Hamill, Forward, Everett Silvertips(WHL)
The Blues took a bit of a gamble taking a defenseman with their first pick, but it pays off with a talented offensive player still available at 24.
25. Vancouver: Brett MacLean, Forward, Oshawa Generals(OHL)
MacLean is probably the best player available at this point
26. St. Louis: Oscar Moller, Forward, Chilliwack Chiefs(WHL)
I’d be kind of surprised if St. Louis kept all three first round picks, but if they do, I think they’d try for another forward that can score.
27. Detroit: Billy Sweat, Forward, Colorado College(WCHA)
In honor of the Blog That Yost Built, I wanted to say Detroit would select “the best available Jiri or Tomas” I don’t think they should pass on Sweatt though, who looks like he’ll be able to contribute at the NHL level some day, and who I think has more offensive ability than he is credited for.
28. Washington: Logan MacMillan, Forward, Halifax Mooseheads(QMJHL)
MacMillan is a safer choice after the Caps gambled on Cherepanov.
29. Ottawa: Riley Nash, Forward, Salmon Arm Silverbacks(BCHL)
*shrug* I’ll take a shot at a wildcard in the draft.
30. Edmonton: Tyson Sexsmith, Goalie, Vancouver Giants(WHL)
We can’t go the entire first round without a goalie. If Edmonton keeps all of their picks, I think they’ll take the first goalie of the draft.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Model Camp Report
Disclaimer: I only made it to the Model Camp last Friday, and with games on two different rinks, I missed decent chunks of pretty much all of the games, so if I missed someone doing something crazy-awesome, I apologize. I'm just writing about what I saw. Also, comments on the goaltending are probably a little thin, since I'm only seeing such a small sample. I used the rosters provided by Iceburg of GopherPuckLive, which looked fairly accurate to me, but if someone was wearing a different jersey number or something, let me know.
Team 8 vs. Team 9
I think Team 9 ended up being one of the better teams in the camp. The player I was probably most impressed with off that team was Little Falls '91 defenseman Izaak Berglund. I think he barely made the national Select 15s last summer as an alternate, but now he looks like he's one of the best in his age group.
I think Hill-Murray's Dan Cecka will score a lot of points next season. He's a big, strong kid with good finishing ability. His Hill-Murray teammate, Tyler Zepeda('91 birthdate) showed off some nice speed and scored a pretty goal. He didn't do much on the defensive end, but given the setting, I wouldn't read too much into it.
Breck teammates Tyson Fulton and Riley Borer are two talented kids, but extremely young, and need some time to develop before they're serious college prospects, but are definitely two kids to watch for the future.
Team 2 vs. Team 3
This was a pretty fun game to watch with a lot of good players.
Ben Arnt was back playing in Minnesota after playing in the USHL last season. He's still not a great skater, but looked to have bulked up even more over the past year. It looked like playing in the USHL helped him get a little better at controlling the puck, and he still has a cannon for a shot. He also delivered one of the better open ice hits I've seen in a while.
Jared Maetche from St. Cloud kind of looked like a smaller version of Arnt. He's over a year younger, so he's not as strong, but he's a better skater. He's got soft hands and always works hard. He's also got a pretty nice shot. He needs to develop and fill out a little bit more, but I think he'll be a solid college hockey player some day.
Another very talented player is Rogers defenseman Nick Jensen. Jensen is a '90 birthdate, and is a great skater. He's got decent size, and is still incredibly agile. I don't think he gets as much hype playing for Rogers, but he's definitely a high-end prospect. White Bear Lake defenseman Taylor Johnson, who will be a senior next year, was also very impressive.
Ben Hanowski was also on Team 2. He seemed to be skating harder than he did at last year's Model Camp. He's still exceptional along the boards, but it seemed like he never developed great chemistry with his linemates to generate a lot of offense. That tends to happen in these types of events.
Speaking of chemistry, on Team 3, Roseau's Ben Nelson and Roseville's Adam Mueller played on the same line and were exceptional. Nelson didn't stand out to me too much during the high school season, but he looked great at the Model Camp. He was probably the best stickhandler at the camp. Mueller isn't particularly flashy, but he's able to get the puck to the net and create goals. That duo combined for at least four goals while I was watching.
Duluth East's Joe Arbour made an all-star game at a USHL tryout camp. He kind of reminded me of former Duluth East defenseman Brian Downing. He's not a great skater, but he's a big guy that uses his size well, and plays a nice, physical style of hockey.
Goalie Keegan Asmundson made some very nice saves in his half of the game. I didn't see a lot of Brady Hjelle in goal, but he looked like the best goalie there. He's very quick, and looked pretty sound positionally.
Team 7 vs. Team 10
Blaine defenseman Nick Carson will probably be one of the top defenders in the state next season. He played a little bit for Southern Minnesota after the high school season, and is a very reliable defenseman. His Blaine teammate, forward Ryan Johnson also played a very nice game.
Danny Mattson is very talented. He's probably one of the better uncommitted players left in Minnesota.
One kid I hadn't heard of was Cretin-Derham Hall's Mychal Bangs. He's only a '91 birthdate, and I don't think he played much for the Raiders last season, but he looked very good. He could have a breakout year next season.
Team 10 had Nick Mattson, who is the sole Minnesotan selected to the NTDP so far this year. Mattson is tremendously talented, but he also looked a little raw. He also still has to fill out a lot physically. Of course, he was one of the youngest players at the camp. After two years with the NTDP, he should be an outstanding player.
Team 1 vs. Team 4
Team 4 had two of the most talented players in the state in Jared Festler and Mike Fink. They played a couple shifts together, but I never felt like they really clicked. They generated some offense, but most of it was off of individual efforts. Fink had a couple great rushes up the ice, and Festler showcased his stick-handling ability. I didn't start off as a big fan of Festler's, but the more I see him, the more impressed I've become, and I think he'll really surprise some people with how far he goes in hockey.
To contrast Team 4, Team 1 had '91 birthdates Zach Budish and Nick Oliver, who have played together in the past and had pretty good chemistry together. Budish was one of the best players I saw, and it sounds like he scored a lot of goals. I saw him score twice on two beautiful snap shots from high in the slot. Not many high schoolers have the strength to finish from where he did. I guess some people have questioned his consistency, but he's looked very good every time I've seen him, and I don't see any '91 forwards in the state being better than him. Oliver also played pretty well. He always gives 100%. He even managed to take two penalties, which given how the games are officiated, is quite a feat.
'91 defenseman Nick Leddy also stood out as a talented player, as did Edina's Brendan Baker. Baker sometimes struggles against top-end players, but given time to develop, he should become better defensively.
Team 11 vs. Team 12
I ended up not watching a lot of this game, since I was more interested in the games on the other rink.
One kid I was interested in seeing was Matt Farris, who scored a lot of points playing high school hockey in South Dakota. He was a pretty decent player, though his point totals definitely look inflated due to his competition. If he gets a little stronger, he may get some looks by junior teams.
Burnsville's Jake Hendrickson is a kid that should get a lot more attention next season. He played pretty well.
Team 5 vs. Team 6
This was the game I was most interested in seeing. There were a lot of great players on both sides.
I was interested to see how Seth Helgeson would do against a little tougher competition. He looked pretty raw. I think it will take some time before he learns when to pick his spots to rush up the ice. He's got all the tools though, including great skating, size, and an absolute cannon for a shot. It'd be a shame if he left Faribault HS, but it'd also probably be in his best interest.
Another duo that had really nice chemistry together was Jake Youso and Anoka's John O'Neill. Youso is probably the fastest player in the state. He's really thin, but I think he's stronger than he looks. O'Neill is an incredibly smooth player, with a lot of talent. He'll be a very nice recruit for somebody.
Wausau's Nate Condon is a young player, but I think he's one of the more talented players in Wisconsin. He's a definite college prospect.
Team 6 had three of the best defenseman in the state in Aaron Ness, Joe Gleason, and Anthony Raiola. Ness and Gleason were paired together and were fun to watch. Ness is almost the exact opposite of Helgeson, in that he has none of the physical ability, but his game is so refined and he almost never makes a mistake. Also, being so light gives him a ridiculous amount of agility. Ness and Gleason took a shift at forward and they ended up scoring a goal.
Raiola isn't flashy like some of the other '90 born defenseman, but he's probably one of the better defensive defenseman at that age group.
The Edina duo of Marshall Everson and Connor Gaarder were also on Team 6. Everson isn't a pretty player, but is very effective. He's not the greatest skater, but he's got a decent amount of size, and uses it to his advantage. Gaarder is a talented kid, but probably needs some more time to develop.
Team 8 vs. Team 9
I think Team 9 ended up being one of the better teams in the camp. The player I was probably most impressed with off that team was Little Falls '91 defenseman Izaak Berglund. I think he barely made the national Select 15s last summer as an alternate, but now he looks like he's one of the best in his age group.
I think Hill-Murray's Dan Cecka will score a lot of points next season. He's a big, strong kid with good finishing ability. His Hill-Murray teammate, Tyler Zepeda('91 birthdate) showed off some nice speed and scored a pretty goal. He didn't do much on the defensive end, but given the setting, I wouldn't read too much into it.
Breck teammates Tyson Fulton and Riley Borer are two talented kids, but extremely young, and need some time to develop before they're serious college prospects, but are definitely two kids to watch for the future.
Team 2 vs. Team 3
This was a pretty fun game to watch with a lot of good players.
Ben Arnt was back playing in Minnesota after playing in the USHL last season. He's still not a great skater, but looked to have bulked up even more over the past year. It looked like playing in the USHL helped him get a little better at controlling the puck, and he still has a cannon for a shot. He also delivered one of the better open ice hits I've seen in a while.
Jared Maetche from St. Cloud kind of looked like a smaller version of Arnt. He's over a year younger, so he's not as strong, but he's a better skater. He's got soft hands and always works hard. He's also got a pretty nice shot. He needs to develop and fill out a little bit more, but I think he'll be a solid college hockey player some day.
Another very talented player is Rogers defenseman Nick Jensen. Jensen is a '90 birthdate, and is a great skater. He's got decent size, and is still incredibly agile. I don't think he gets as much hype playing for Rogers, but he's definitely a high-end prospect. White Bear Lake defenseman Taylor Johnson, who will be a senior next year, was also very impressive.
Ben Hanowski was also on Team 2. He seemed to be skating harder than he did at last year's Model Camp. He's still exceptional along the boards, but it seemed like he never developed great chemistry with his linemates to generate a lot of offense. That tends to happen in these types of events.
Speaking of chemistry, on Team 3, Roseau's Ben Nelson and Roseville's Adam Mueller played on the same line and were exceptional. Nelson didn't stand out to me too much during the high school season, but he looked great at the Model Camp. He was probably the best stickhandler at the camp. Mueller isn't particularly flashy, but he's able to get the puck to the net and create goals. That duo combined for at least four goals while I was watching.
Duluth East's Joe Arbour made an all-star game at a USHL tryout camp. He kind of reminded me of former Duluth East defenseman Brian Downing. He's not a great skater, but he's a big guy that uses his size well, and plays a nice, physical style of hockey.
Goalie Keegan Asmundson made some very nice saves in his half of the game. I didn't see a lot of Brady Hjelle in goal, but he looked like the best goalie there. He's very quick, and looked pretty sound positionally.
Team 7 vs. Team 10
Blaine defenseman Nick Carson will probably be one of the top defenders in the state next season. He played a little bit for Southern Minnesota after the high school season, and is a very reliable defenseman. His Blaine teammate, forward Ryan Johnson also played a very nice game.
Danny Mattson is very talented. He's probably one of the better uncommitted players left in Minnesota.
One kid I hadn't heard of was Cretin-Derham Hall's Mychal Bangs. He's only a '91 birthdate, and I don't think he played much for the Raiders last season, but he looked very good. He could have a breakout year next season.
Team 10 had Nick Mattson, who is the sole Minnesotan selected to the NTDP so far this year. Mattson is tremendously talented, but he also looked a little raw. He also still has to fill out a lot physically. Of course, he was one of the youngest players at the camp. After two years with the NTDP, he should be an outstanding player.
Team 1 vs. Team 4
Team 4 had two of the most talented players in the state in Jared Festler and Mike Fink. They played a couple shifts together, but I never felt like they really clicked. They generated some offense, but most of it was off of individual efforts. Fink had a couple great rushes up the ice, and Festler showcased his stick-handling ability. I didn't start off as a big fan of Festler's, but the more I see him, the more impressed I've become, and I think he'll really surprise some people with how far he goes in hockey.
To contrast Team 4, Team 1 had '91 birthdates Zach Budish and Nick Oliver, who have played together in the past and had pretty good chemistry together. Budish was one of the best players I saw, and it sounds like he scored a lot of goals. I saw him score twice on two beautiful snap shots from high in the slot. Not many high schoolers have the strength to finish from where he did. I guess some people have questioned his consistency, but he's looked very good every time I've seen him, and I don't see any '91 forwards in the state being better than him. Oliver also played pretty well. He always gives 100%. He even managed to take two penalties, which given how the games are officiated, is quite a feat.
'91 defenseman Nick Leddy also stood out as a talented player, as did Edina's Brendan Baker. Baker sometimes struggles against top-end players, but given time to develop, he should become better defensively.
Team 11 vs. Team 12
I ended up not watching a lot of this game, since I was more interested in the games on the other rink.
One kid I was interested in seeing was Matt Farris, who scored a lot of points playing high school hockey in South Dakota. He was a pretty decent player, though his point totals definitely look inflated due to his competition. If he gets a little stronger, he may get some looks by junior teams.
Burnsville's Jake Hendrickson is a kid that should get a lot more attention next season. He played pretty well.
Team 5 vs. Team 6
This was the game I was most interested in seeing. There were a lot of great players on both sides.
I was interested to see how Seth Helgeson would do against a little tougher competition. He looked pretty raw. I think it will take some time before he learns when to pick his spots to rush up the ice. He's got all the tools though, including great skating, size, and an absolute cannon for a shot. It'd be a shame if he left Faribault HS, but it'd also probably be in his best interest.
Another duo that had really nice chemistry together was Jake Youso and Anoka's John O'Neill. Youso is probably the fastest player in the state. He's really thin, but I think he's stronger than he looks. O'Neill is an incredibly smooth player, with a lot of talent. He'll be a very nice recruit for somebody.
Wausau's Nate Condon is a young player, but I think he's one of the more talented players in Wisconsin. He's a definite college prospect.
Team 6 had three of the best defenseman in the state in Aaron Ness, Joe Gleason, and Anthony Raiola. Ness and Gleason were paired together and were fun to watch. Ness is almost the exact opposite of Helgeson, in that he has none of the physical ability, but his game is so refined and he almost never makes a mistake. Also, being so light gives him a ridiculous amount of agility. Ness and Gleason took a shift at forward and they ended up scoring a goal.
Raiola isn't flashy like some of the other '90 born defenseman, but he's probably one of the better defensive defenseman at that age group.
The Edina duo of Marshall Everson and Connor Gaarder were also on Team 6. Everson isn't a pretty player, but is very effective. He's not the greatest skater, but he's got a decent amount of size, and uses it to his advantage. Gaarder is a talented kid, but probably needs some more time to develop.
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Tavares Question
The Oshawa Generals John Tavares had a great season last year. He led the Ontario Hockey League in goal-scoring by 10 goals with 72 goals(a CHL record for a player of his age), and his 134 points trailed only Pat Kane, who may be the first overall pick in this year's draft. Tavares' only problem? He was born on a Thursday, instead of the previous Sunday. Tavares was born on September 20, 1990, meaning that he is five days too young to qualify for the 2008 NHL Draft, and will instead have to wait until 2009 before he can suit up in the NHL.
There isn't a way around that rule, either. The Florida Panthers once tried, selecting Alexander Ovechkin in the 6th round of the 2003 draft, and arguing that Ovechkin, born September 17th 1985, had lived for 18 years, due to leap years. The NHL disagreed and Ovechkin had to wait until 2004 to be drafted.
But should there be a way around that rule? After all, Tavares would seem to be ready for next year's draft. Tavares would likely be a shoe-in for the top pick in the 2008 draft. Steven Stamkos, who is currently considered the top prospect for next year's draft, scored 92 points in the OHL last season, which is exceptional, but still 42 points behind what Tavares did.
If the NHL made an exception for Tavares, it wouldn't be the first time an exception was made for him. The OHL, who had seen Tavares dominate against players a year older than him, and fearing Tavares might seek a league outside of Canada to play, decided to grant him an "exceptional player" exemption, which allowed him to be taken in the draft a year earlier.
The NHL doesn't really have to worry about losing Tavares, since he'll end up in the NHL eventually, but they do have to worry about losing fans. The NHL's biggest problems are all of the negative publicity they receive in the media and a lack of TV ratings. A 17 year-old phenom could bring some good publicity and interest back into the game. If nothing else, the sports world would have to pay attention to see how the young kid would do.
There is one small caveat though. I think it's absolutely essential that Tavares ends up in the Western Conference. The NHL has done a great job marketing Sidney Crosby, and to a lesser extent, Alexander Ovechkin. The problem is that both of those players play in the east, meaning Western Conference teams only get to see those players maybe once a year. Sidney Crosby helped draw a sellout in Phoenix when Pittsburgh came to town earlier this year. But Pittsburgh only played once in Phoenix, and with so many teams in the league, there's only so much Sidney to go around. Meanwhile, the West lacks a true young star. Joe Sakic is great, but on his way out. Joe Thornton scores a lot of points, but last year he had 4 assists for every goal he scored. And Jarome Iginla plays in Canada. Someone young like Tavares that can score a lot of goals would draw a lot of attention in the West.
Of course the NHL can't rig their draft order so a western team gets the first pick. It's not like this is professional wrestling or the NBA. I'm just saying that it would be really nice if it worked out that way.
It's really in the NHL's best interest to let Tavares into the draft a year early. It would be easy to do, as well. They'd just have to do the same thing that the OHL did. Create an "exceptional player exemption" that players must apply for, and allow the NHL to make the final decision. They could even call it the "Tavares Rule".
John Tavares will be ready for the NHL in 2008, and the NHL is more than ready for another superstar like Tavares. It only makes sense to not force him to wait just because of when he was born.
There isn't a way around that rule, either. The Florida Panthers once tried, selecting Alexander Ovechkin in the 6th round of the 2003 draft, and arguing that Ovechkin, born September 17th 1985, had lived for 18 years, due to leap years. The NHL disagreed and Ovechkin had to wait until 2004 to be drafted.
But should there be a way around that rule? After all, Tavares would seem to be ready for next year's draft. Tavares would likely be a shoe-in for the top pick in the 2008 draft. Steven Stamkos, who is currently considered the top prospect for next year's draft, scored 92 points in the OHL last season, which is exceptional, but still 42 points behind what Tavares did.
If the NHL made an exception for Tavares, it wouldn't be the first time an exception was made for him. The OHL, who had seen Tavares dominate against players a year older than him, and fearing Tavares might seek a league outside of Canada to play, decided to grant him an "exceptional player" exemption, which allowed him to be taken in the draft a year earlier.
The NHL doesn't really have to worry about losing Tavares, since he'll end up in the NHL eventually, but they do have to worry about losing fans. The NHL's biggest problems are all of the negative publicity they receive in the media and a lack of TV ratings. A 17 year-old phenom could bring some good publicity and interest back into the game. If nothing else, the sports world would have to pay attention to see how the young kid would do.
There is one small caveat though. I think it's absolutely essential that Tavares ends up in the Western Conference. The NHL has done a great job marketing Sidney Crosby, and to a lesser extent, Alexander Ovechkin. The problem is that both of those players play in the east, meaning Western Conference teams only get to see those players maybe once a year. Sidney Crosby helped draw a sellout in Phoenix when Pittsburgh came to town earlier this year. But Pittsburgh only played once in Phoenix, and with so many teams in the league, there's only so much Sidney to go around. Meanwhile, the West lacks a true young star. Joe Sakic is great, but on his way out. Joe Thornton scores a lot of points, but last year he had 4 assists for every goal he scored. And Jarome Iginla plays in Canada. Someone young like Tavares that can score a lot of goals would draw a lot of attention in the West.
Of course the NHL can't rig their draft order so a western team gets the first pick. It's not like this is professional wrestling or the NBA. I'm just saying that it would be really nice if it worked out that way.
It's really in the NHL's best interest to let Tavares into the draft a year early. It would be easy to do, as well. They'd just have to do the same thing that the OHL did. Create an "exceptional player exemption" that players must apply for, and allow the NHL to make the final decision. They could even call it the "Tavares Rule".
John Tavares will be ready for the NHL in 2008, and the NHL is more than ready for another superstar like Tavares. It only makes sense to not force him to wait just because of when he was born.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Sioux Falls Camp Report
Here are the rosters from Sioux Falls Tryout Camp All-Star game. Sioux Falls also had had a recap of the game I saw.
White's top line featured returning '89 birthdates Jake Hansen, Robbie Vrolyk, along with former Buffalo(MN)forward Ross Trousdale. I was really surprised when I checked back and saw that this line didn't have any points. Hansen and Vrolyk were easily the two best players on the ice. Vrolyk is an east coast kid that isn't that big, but is very quick. Hansen was the best player I saw all day. He's got a great combination of speed, strength and hard work. He's very fun to watch.
Michael Juola was the LA Jr. Kings was probably the next best forward for the White team. I was once again impressed with Minnetonka HS defenseman Anthony Raiola. Raiola will be a senior at Minnetonka, but he's talented enough to play in the USHL. Duluth recruit Scott Kishel has a lot of talent, but I think his decision-making needs to get a little better before he's ready for college hockey. He had one awful turnover in his own zone that led directly to a goal. I'm sure a year of playing in the USHL will help that. Max Grover played a solid, dependable game and should make the team.
Jordy Christian probably would have been Blue's best player, but he wasn't playing on Sunday night. Jack Connolly was probably Blue's best forward. It was a little difficult for him to be as creative with unfamiliar linemates, but he was still fun to watch. Team Illinois' Marc Rodriguez scored a nice goal and looks like he has a lot of offensive talent. Travis Belohrad, from Colorado, was the only '91 birthdate to make the all-star game and he didn't look out of place. Nick Dineen is a very nice two-way player.
On defense, Sam Zabkowicz had a rough first half of the game. He was one of the better players on the ice, but looked like he was trying to force things too much, and made some bad decisions. He settled down and played very well in the second half though. Dallas' Kris Reinthaler played a nice game and scored a pretty goal. Ian Ruel is a very physical defenseman, but I don't think he's ready for the USHL level yet.
All in all, Sioux Falls looked like they'll have another very good team next season. I think that Hansen will be one of the league's best players, and they'll get great leadership from some of the '87 birthdates on the team.
White's top line featured returning '89 birthdates Jake Hansen, Robbie Vrolyk, along with former Buffalo(MN)forward Ross Trousdale. I was really surprised when I checked back and saw that this line didn't have any points. Hansen and Vrolyk were easily the two best players on the ice. Vrolyk is an east coast kid that isn't that big, but is very quick. Hansen was the best player I saw all day. He's got a great combination of speed, strength and hard work. He's very fun to watch.
Michael Juola was the LA Jr. Kings was probably the next best forward for the White team. I was once again impressed with Minnetonka HS defenseman Anthony Raiola. Raiola will be a senior at Minnetonka, but he's talented enough to play in the USHL. Duluth recruit Scott Kishel has a lot of talent, but I think his decision-making needs to get a little better before he's ready for college hockey. He had one awful turnover in his own zone that led directly to a goal. I'm sure a year of playing in the USHL will help that. Max Grover played a solid, dependable game and should make the team.
Jordy Christian probably would have been Blue's best player, but he wasn't playing on Sunday night. Jack Connolly was probably Blue's best forward. It was a little difficult for him to be as creative with unfamiliar linemates, but he was still fun to watch. Team Illinois' Marc Rodriguez scored a nice goal and looks like he has a lot of offensive talent. Travis Belohrad, from Colorado, was the only '91 birthdate to make the all-star game and he didn't look out of place. Nick Dineen is a very nice two-way player.
On defense, Sam Zabkowicz had a rough first half of the game. He was one of the better players on the ice, but looked like he was trying to force things too much, and made some bad decisions. He settled down and played very well in the second half though. Dallas' Kris Reinthaler played a nice game and scored a pretty goal. Ian Ruel is a very physical defenseman, but I don't think he's ready for the USHL level yet.
All in all, Sioux Falls looked like they'll have another very good team next season. I think that Hansen will be one of the league's best players, and they'll get great leadership from some of the '87 birthdates on the team.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Tri-City Camp Report
For Tri-City's All-Star game, they had two 25 minute running time halves. Instead of penalties, players got a penalty shot, and there was a shootout and the end of each half. Here is the roster from the game.
The White team looked to be the stronger of the two teams. White's best line was Wisconsin commit Chris Hickey, Mario Lamoureux, and Yannick Offret from France. Hickey was probably the best player on the ice. He had a goal, and probably would have had a couple others if he was in mid-season form. Jordan Van Guilder and Cameron Cooper were two other returning players that stood out.
White's second best line was a bit of surprise with three pretty young kids. That line had SCSU commit Nick Oliver, another '91 birthdate in Matt Tabrum, and a '90 birthdate named Tyler Johnson.
Oliver really played exceptionally well. His dad is the head coach at Roseau HS and I doubt he'd leave, but he almost looked like he could have made Tri-City's team. He also scored a very nice goal. Tabrum came from the Pikes Peak Miner's AAA program. He looked like he still needs to fill out a lot, but he looks like he has a lot of potential.
I wasn't familiar with Johnson either prior to the camp. He's a speedy forward with pretty good hands. He was drafted by the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. He's an Idaho native that had a great year last season playing in the NPHL. The NPHL(or NORPAC) is a Jr. B league that drew quite a bit of attention last season for a fiasco involving Fort Vancouver's team. Johnson led that league in scoring with an eye-popping 120 points in 39 games.
Oklahoman Josh Berge also played pretty well, but he's probably a little too small for the USHL this year. He was one of the best players in terms of controlling the puck, however.
Mike Cichy wasn't overly impressive. It looked like the speed of the game was a little faster than he was used to.
Black's team had three overage players on it in Sean Wiles and two Omaha recruits: Alex Hudson and Jordan Willert. All three weren't necessarily the slickest players, but they had a big advantage in terms of maturity and strength and were probably the best players for Black.
I was also impressed with Brendan Berquam. He played for the LA Jr. Kings, and prior to that, at Shattuck. He's not a big guy, but showed very good skating and passing ability.
His LA teammate Troy Power was also on the Black team. I continue to be impressed with Power's talent, though the up-and-down loose flowing style of play in the game didn't really suit his talents. I think he could have a nice year in the USHL though.
Colin Smith and David Chaney were two kids from the Belle Tire program that I wasn't familiar with that played pretty well.
Minnesota Tom Kleidon will probably make the jump from the NAHL to the USHL this season. He plays like a solid, dependable defenseman.
The White team looked to be the stronger of the two teams. White's best line was Wisconsin commit Chris Hickey, Mario Lamoureux, and Yannick Offret from France. Hickey was probably the best player on the ice. He had a goal, and probably would have had a couple others if he was in mid-season form. Jordan Van Guilder and Cameron Cooper were two other returning players that stood out.
White's second best line was a bit of surprise with three pretty young kids. That line had SCSU commit Nick Oliver, another '91 birthdate in Matt Tabrum, and a '90 birthdate named Tyler Johnson.
Oliver really played exceptionally well. His dad is the head coach at Roseau HS and I doubt he'd leave, but he almost looked like he could have made Tri-City's team. He also scored a very nice goal. Tabrum came from the Pikes Peak Miner's AAA program. He looked like he still needs to fill out a lot, but he looks like he has a lot of potential.
I wasn't familiar with Johnson either prior to the camp. He's a speedy forward with pretty good hands. He was drafted by the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. He's an Idaho native that had a great year last season playing in the NPHL. The NPHL(or NORPAC) is a Jr. B league that drew quite a bit of attention last season for a fiasco involving Fort Vancouver's team. Johnson led that league in scoring with an eye-popping 120 points in 39 games.
Oklahoman Josh Berge also played pretty well, but he's probably a little too small for the USHL this year. He was one of the best players in terms of controlling the puck, however.
Mike Cichy wasn't overly impressive. It looked like the speed of the game was a little faster than he was used to.
Black's team had three overage players on it in Sean Wiles and two Omaha recruits: Alex Hudson and Jordan Willert. All three weren't necessarily the slickest players, but they had a big advantage in terms of maturity and strength and were probably the best players for Black.
I was also impressed with Brendan Berquam. He played for the LA Jr. Kings, and prior to that, at Shattuck. He's not a big guy, but showed very good skating and passing ability.
His LA teammate Troy Power was also on the Black team. I continue to be impressed with Power's talent, though the up-and-down loose flowing style of play in the game didn't really suit his talents. I think he could have a nice year in the USHL though.
Colin Smith and David Chaney were two kids from the Belle Tire program that I wasn't familiar with that played pretty well.
Minnesota Tom Kleidon will probably make the jump from the NAHL to the USHL this season. He plays like a solid, dependable defenseman.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Sioux Falls Stampede All-Star Game
Here is the roster from the Sioux Falls Stampede Tryout Camp All-Star game.
Team Blue
D Sean Escobedo Apple Core '90
D Kris Reinthaler Dallas Stars '88
D Joe Brehm Edina HS '88
D Ian Ruel Victory Honda '90
D Justin Lee Chaska HS '89
D Sam Zabkowicz Sioux Falls '87 (St. Cloud)
F Nick Dineen Sioux Falls '89 (Colorado College)
F Jack Connolly Duluth Marshall '89 (Minnesota-Duluth)
F Patrick Divjak WE-V '89
F Marc Rodriguez Team Illinois '90
F Jordy Christian Moorhead HS '88
F Jordan Singer Centennial HS '88
F David Grun Sioux Falls '87
F Travis Belohrad BUH/Pike to Peake '91
F Tom Healy Team Illinois '88
F Tony McDonald Totino-Grace HS '88
F Matt Leer Edina HS '89
F Matt Farris Pierre HS '90
G Eric Hartzell Dallas Stars '89
G Connor Toomey St. Sebastien's '89
G Doug Carr Hanover HS '89
Team White
D Max Grover Little Caesar's '88
D Scott Kishel Virgina HS '89 (Minnesota-Duluth)
D Anthony Raiola Minnetonka HS '90
D Gabe Guentzel Southern Minnesota '88
D Mike Baran Thayer Academy '89
D Austin Accettura Honeybaked '90
F Dan Sexton Sioux Falls '87
F Terry Broadhurst Chicago Chill '88
F Britton Smith Holy Angels '88
F Kyle Politz Apple Valley HS '89
F Jake Hansen Sioux Falls '89 (Minnesota)
F Michael Joula LA Kings '89
F Josh Holmstrom Colorado Rampage '89
F Robbie Vrolyk Sioux Falls '89
F Kevin Czepiel Northfield Mount Hermon '88
F Ross Trousdale Buffalo HS '88
F John Kruse Eden Prairie HS '89
F Jeff Rohrkemper Grosse Pointe North '89
G Derek Mohney Buffalo Saints '90
G Max Strang Sioux Falls '89
Team Blue
D Sean Escobedo Apple Core '90
D Kris Reinthaler Dallas Stars '88
D Joe Brehm Edina HS '88
D Ian Ruel Victory Honda '90
D Justin Lee Chaska HS '89
D Sam Zabkowicz Sioux Falls '87 (St. Cloud)
F Nick Dineen Sioux Falls '89 (Colorado College)
F Jack Connolly Duluth Marshall '89 (Minnesota-Duluth)
F Patrick Divjak WE-V '89
F Marc Rodriguez Team Illinois '90
F Jordy Christian Moorhead HS '88
F Jordan Singer Centennial HS '88
F David Grun Sioux Falls '87
F Travis Belohrad BUH/Pike to Peake '91
F Tom Healy Team Illinois '88
F Tony McDonald Totino-Grace HS '88
F Matt Leer Edina HS '89
F Matt Farris Pierre HS '90
G Eric Hartzell Dallas Stars '89
G Connor Toomey St. Sebastien's '89
G Doug Carr Hanover HS '89
Team White
D Max Grover Little Caesar's '88
D Scott Kishel Virgina HS '89 (Minnesota-Duluth)
D Anthony Raiola Minnetonka HS '90
D Gabe Guentzel Southern Minnesota '88
D Mike Baran Thayer Academy '89
D Austin Accettura Honeybaked '90
F Dan Sexton Sioux Falls '87
F Terry Broadhurst Chicago Chill '88
F Britton Smith Holy Angels '88
F Kyle Politz Apple Valley HS '89
F Jake Hansen Sioux Falls '89 (Minnesota)
F Michael Joula LA Kings '89
F Josh Holmstrom Colorado Rampage '89
F Robbie Vrolyk Sioux Falls '89
F Kevin Czepiel Northfield Mount Hermon '88
F Ross Trousdale Buffalo HS '88
F John Kruse Eden Prairie HS '89
F Jeff Rohrkemper Grosse Pointe North '89
G Derek Mohney Buffalo Saints '90
G Max Strang Sioux Falls '89
Tri-City Storm All-Star Game
Here are the rosters for the All-Star game at the Tri-City Storm tryout camp.
Team White
D Nick Jaskowiak Salisbury Prep '89
D Charlie Raskob Holy Angels '89
F Tyler Johnson Couer d'Alene NORPAC '90
F Mario Lamoureux Tri-City Storm '88
F Yannick Offret Amiens, France '88
F Chris Hickey Cretin-Derham Hall HS (Wisconsin) '88
F Colin Phanuef Winnipeg South Blues '90
D Jordan Lolar Springfield Falcons '88
D Danny Heath PF Chang's '90
D Ryan Peltoma Tri-City Storm '88
D Greg Thocker Fargo-Moorhead Jets '90
F Anthony DeCenzo Hibbing HS '89
F Matt Tabrum Pikes Peak AAA '91
F Jordan Van Guilder Tri-City Storm '88
D Cameron Cooper Tri-City Storm '88
F Josh Berge Dallas Alliance AAA '90
F Mike Cichy Jr. Bruins '90 (North Dakota)
F Nick Oliver Roseau HS '91 (St. Cloud)
F Bryce Ravndalen Warroad HS '89
Team Black
D Grant Fahnhorst Wayzata HS '89
D Shawn Jameson Dubuque '88
D David Chaney Belle Tire '90
D Chris Franks Burnsville HS '89
D James Geerin North Iowa '90
D Brandon Martel Elk River HS '89 (Minnesota)
D Tom Kleidon Santa Fe '89
F Brandon Berquam LA Kings '89
F Brett Beebe Anaheim Jr. Ducks '90
F Dan Cecka Hill-Murray '89
F Troy Power LA Kings '90
F Troy Mattila Springfield '88
F Sean Wiles Tri-City Storm '87
F Alex Hudson Tri-City Storm '87 (Nebraska-Omaha)
F Colin Smith Belle Tire '88
F Jordan Willert Tri-City Storm '87 (Nebraska-Omaha)
Goalies
Jake Kremer Russell Stover '88
Ian O'Brien Pittsburgh Penguins '90
Aaron Rock Tri-City Storm '87
Hakan Yumusaklar Lakeville South HS '89
Team White
D Nick Jaskowiak Salisbury Prep '89
D Charlie Raskob Holy Angels '89
F Tyler Johnson Couer d'Alene NORPAC '90
F Mario Lamoureux Tri-City Storm '88
F Yannick Offret Amiens, France '88
F Chris Hickey Cretin-Derham Hall HS (Wisconsin) '88
F Colin Phanuef Winnipeg South Blues '90
D Jordan Lolar Springfield Falcons '88
D Danny Heath PF Chang's '90
D Ryan Peltoma Tri-City Storm '88
D Greg Thocker Fargo-Moorhead Jets '90
F Anthony DeCenzo Hibbing HS '89
F Matt Tabrum Pikes Peak AAA '91
F Jordan Van Guilder Tri-City Storm '88
D Cameron Cooper Tri-City Storm '88
F Josh Berge Dallas Alliance AAA '90
F Mike Cichy Jr. Bruins '90 (North Dakota)
F Nick Oliver Roseau HS '91 (St. Cloud)
F Bryce Ravndalen Warroad HS '89
Team Black
D Grant Fahnhorst Wayzata HS '89
D Shawn Jameson Dubuque '88
D David Chaney Belle Tire '90
D Chris Franks Burnsville HS '89
D James Geerin North Iowa '90
D Brandon Martel Elk River HS '89 (Minnesota)
D Tom Kleidon Santa Fe '89
F Brandon Berquam LA Kings '89
F Brett Beebe Anaheim Jr. Ducks '90
F Dan Cecka Hill-Murray '89
F Troy Power LA Kings '90
F Troy Mattila Springfield '88
F Sean Wiles Tri-City Storm '87
F Alex Hudson Tri-City Storm '87 (Nebraska-Omaha)
F Colin Smith Belle Tire '88
F Jordan Willert Tri-City Storm '87 (Nebraska-Omaha)
Goalies
Jake Kremer Russell Stover '88
Ian O'Brien Pittsburgh Penguins '90
Aaron Rock Tri-City Storm '87
Hakan Yumusaklar Lakeville South HS '89
Thursday, May 31, 2007
NHL Draft Prospect: Max Pacioretty
The next NHL draft prospect we'll look at is Sioux City Musketeers forward Max Pacioretty.
Max Pacioretty can be considered a bit of a "dark horse" in this summer's NHL Draft, mainly because prior to this winter, when the NHL CSB's mid-term rankings came out, few people had heard of Pacioretty, let alone considered him a top prospect for the draft.
Prior to playing in the USHL, Pacioretty played his hockey for Taft Prep, in Connecticut. As a sophomore, Pacioretty had 5 goals and 14 assists, which was good for fourth on Taft's team in scoring. That summer, he went to the USA Select 17 Festival, and was impressive enough to earn a spot on the US U18 team that traveled to Slovakia to play in the Junior World Cup. Pacioretty returned to Taft for his junior season and scored 6 goals and 30 assists in 25 games. That January, Pacioretty accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Michigan, choosing the Wolverines over a couple Ivy League schools.
Here is what US Hockey Report said about Pacioretty after he committed: "Pacioretty, a New Canaan, Conn. native now in his junior year at Taft, is a big kid with pretty good hands. With his long reach, he is able to protect the puck well, and he has good acceleration for his size. At the very least, he projects to be a solid checking winger for the Wolverines. Depending on how he develops, he could be much more -- there's upside here."
For his senior year of high school, Pacioretty moved on to Sioux City of the USHL, where he really showed off his talent. In 60 regular season games, Pacioretty scored 21 goals and 42 assists for 63 points. He was second on Sioux City's team in scoring, tied for 10th overall in the league, and trailed only Des Moines' Ben Ryan for most points by a player in his first year of draft eligibility by a single point. Pacioretty also had 4 goals and 6 assists in 7 playoff games.
Pacioretty is often described as a "prototypical power forward" because combines his large frame(measured at 6'1.5" 203 lbs. by Central Scouting) and physical play with extremely soft hands, and his skating is very good for his size. Pacioretty is a bit atypical, however, in that he racks up a lot of assists for a power forward. Pacioretty is also pretty intelligent. He fielded scholarship offers from Ivy League schools, and graduated high school a semester early this winter.
NHL Central Scouting ranked Pacioretty 23rd in the their mid-term rankings, making him the highest rated USHL prospect, and Pacioretty moved up to 16th in the final rankings, making him the 5th highest rated American prospect. He will likely be picked in the later half of the first round, though he is a player that could get picked even earlier, as few prospects in front of him have the same size and ability as Pacioretty.
Pacioretty will be as freshman at Michigan next season. The Wolverines lost a significant chunk of offense this summer with the graduation of T.J. Hensick and the Edmonton Oiler's signing of Andrew Cogliano, and Pacioretty will be one of the players called upon to fill that void. Michigan has desperately missed the presence of a high-scoring power forward since Jason Botterill graduated in 1997, and would love for Pacioretty to fill that role. Pacioretty should see powerplay time right away for the Wolverines, and will likely be on one of the top two lines.
Biggest Strength: Hands
Needs to Improve: Goal-scoring ability
Further Reading:
Pacioretty is Named Channel 4 Champion January 17, 2007
Max Pacioretty can be considered a bit of a "dark horse" in this summer's NHL Draft, mainly because prior to this winter, when the NHL CSB's mid-term rankings came out, few people had heard of Pacioretty, let alone considered him a top prospect for the draft.
Prior to playing in the USHL, Pacioretty played his hockey for Taft Prep, in Connecticut. As a sophomore, Pacioretty had 5 goals and 14 assists, which was good for fourth on Taft's team in scoring. That summer, he went to the USA Select 17 Festival, and was impressive enough to earn a spot on the US U18 team that traveled to Slovakia to play in the Junior World Cup. Pacioretty returned to Taft for his junior season and scored 6 goals and 30 assists in 25 games. That January, Pacioretty accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Michigan, choosing the Wolverines over a couple Ivy League schools.
Here is what US Hockey Report said about Pacioretty after he committed: "Pacioretty, a New Canaan, Conn. native now in his junior year at Taft, is a big kid with pretty good hands. With his long reach, he is able to protect the puck well, and he has good acceleration for his size. At the very least, he projects to be a solid checking winger for the Wolverines. Depending on how he develops, he could be much more -- there's upside here."
For his senior year of high school, Pacioretty moved on to Sioux City of the USHL, where he really showed off his talent. In 60 regular season games, Pacioretty scored 21 goals and 42 assists for 63 points. He was second on Sioux City's team in scoring, tied for 10th overall in the league, and trailed only Des Moines' Ben Ryan for most points by a player in his first year of draft eligibility by a single point. Pacioretty also had 4 goals and 6 assists in 7 playoff games.
Pacioretty is often described as a "prototypical power forward" because combines his large frame(measured at 6'1.5" 203 lbs. by Central Scouting) and physical play with extremely soft hands, and his skating is very good for his size. Pacioretty is a bit atypical, however, in that he racks up a lot of assists for a power forward. Pacioretty is also pretty intelligent. He fielded scholarship offers from Ivy League schools, and graduated high school a semester early this winter.
NHL Central Scouting ranked Pacioretty 23rd in the their mid-term rankings, making him the highest rated USHL prospect, and Pacioretty moved up to 16th in the final rankings, making him the 5th highest rated American prospect. He will likely be picked in the later half of the first round, though he is a player that could get picked even earlier, as few prospects in front of him have the same size and ability as Pacioretty.
Pacioretty will be as freshman at Michigan next season. The Wolverines lost a significant chunk of offense this summer with the graduation of T.J. Hensick and the Edmonton Oiler's signing of Andrew Cogliano, and Pacioretty will be one of the players called upon to fill that void. Michigan has desperately missed the presence of a high-scoring power forward since Jason Botterill graduated in 1997, and would love for Pacioretty to fill that role. Pacioretty should see powerplay time right away for the Wolverines, and will likely be on one of the top two lines.
Biggest Strength: Hands
Needs to Improve: Goal-scoring ability
Further Reading:
Pacioretty is Named Channel 4 Champion January 17, 2007
NHL Draft Prospect: Mike Hoeffel
Our next draft profile is of NTDP forward Mike Hoeffel.
Hoeffel played his high school hockey at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minnesota. He skated for the Hill-Murray JV team as a freshman. The next year, Hoeffel grew four inches and added 25 lbs. to measure at 6'0 and 165 lbs., and was one of the top sophomores in the state of Minnesota. He was the Pioneers second leading scorer with 44 points, behind only Ryan Guentzel. Hoeffel was invited to the US NTDP tryout camp, where USHR thought he was the best forward at the camp. He returned to Hill-Murray for his junior year of high school. Hoeffel once again grew to the size of 6'2" 180 lbs. and was one of the best players in the state. He scored 70 points as a junior, second only to teammate Nick Larson's 79 points.
I was impressed with Hoeffel at the 2005 Elite League: "Before the tournament, I would have guessed that '07 recruit Mike Hoeffel, the 6th ranked uncommitted forward, would be the best player in the league, and he certainly looked like it. Hoeffel was about as close to a complete package as there is. He has very good size, and uses it pretty well. He can also skate exceptionally well for someone his size, and has a very heavy snap shot that he loves to use. The only problem was that he had the accuracy of a Stormtrooper today. He had three quality scoring chances today and put all three shots over the net. One beat the goalie cleanly, but hit the crossbar, while the other two missed badly. If he improves his scoring touch a little, he'll be a very good player."
That November, Hoeffel accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Minnesota in 2007. The summer after his junior year of high school, Hoeffel accepted an offer to play for the National Development Program in Ann Arbor.
Hoeffel got off to a slow start with the NTDP. Most players struggle in their first couple of months with the NTDP, but Hoeffel's was a bit more high-profile because he was with the U18 team and was in his draft year. Hoeffel started to become more comfortable with his role on the team. He suffered a torn ACL and had to miss the end of the season, including the World U18 Championships. It should be fully healed for next fall, but it could hurt his development this summer.
Hoeffel is listed at 6'2" 186 lbs. by NHL Central Scouting. Hoeffel has all the tools to be an outstanding player: he's pretty big, a good skater, and is a nice finisher. But as his low scoring totals with the NTDP might suggest, he still needs to find a way to put it all together to be more effective against top competition. Playing college hockey should give him the time to develop those hockey instincts.
NHL Central Scouting rated Hoeffel #22 in their final rankings, up from 24 in the mid-term rankings. That would indicate that Hoeffel would be picked towards the end of the first round, though he could slip down well into the second round due to his injury and not being able to play at the World Championships.
Hoeffel will head to Minnesota next fall. Much like Jimmy O'Brien last year, Hoeffel could get stuck on one of the lower lines and not see a lot of icetime, especially in special teams situations. But given a year or two to develop, Hoeffel should emerge as one of the top threats for the Gophers. Whichever team drafts him would probably best be served by letting him play at least 3 seasons of college hockey.
Biggest Strength: Goal-scoring ability
Needs to Improve: Hockey sense
Further Reading:
NTDP Feature December 1, 2006
Hoeffel played his high school hockey at Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minnesota. He skated for the Hill-Murray JV team as a freshman. The next year, Hoeffel grew four inches and added 25 lbs. to measure at 6'0 and 165 lbs., and was one of the top sophomores in the state of Minnesota. He was the Pioneers second leading scorer with 44 points, behind only Ryan Guentzel. Hoeffel was invited to the US NTDP tryout camp, where USHR thought he was the best forward at the camp. He returned to Hill-Murray for his junior year of high school. Hoeffel once again grew to the size of 6'2" 180 lbs. and was one of the best players in the state. He scored 70 points as a junior, second only to teammate Nick Larson's 79 points.
I was impressed with Hoeffel at the 2005 Elite League: "Before the tournament, I would have guessed that '07 recruit Mike Hoeffel, the 6th ranked uncommitted forward, would be the best player in the league, and he certainly looked like it. Hoeffel was about as close to a complete package as there is. He has very good size, and uses it pretty well. He can also skate exceptionally well for someone his size, and has a very heavy snap shot that he loves to use. The only problem was that he had the accuracy of a Stormtrooper today. He had three quality scoring chances today and put all three shots over the net. One beat the goalie cleanly, but hit the crossbar, while the other two missed badly. If he improves his scoring touch a little, he'll be a very good player."
That November, Hoeffel accepted a scholarship to play for the University of Minnesota in 2007. The summer after his junior year of high school, Hoeffel accepted an offer to play for the National Development Program in Ann Arbor.
Hoeffel got off to a slow start with the NTDP. Most players struggle in their first couple of months with the NTDP, but Hoeffel's was a bit more high-profile because he was with the U18 team and was in his draft year. Hoeffel started to become more comfortable with his role on the team. He suffered a torn ACL and had to miss the end of the season, including the World U18 Championships. It should be fully healed for next fall, but it could hurt his development this summer.
Hoeffel is listed at 6'2" 186 lbs. by NHL Central Scouting. Hoeffel has all the tools to be an outstanding player: he's pretty big, a good skater, and is a nice finisher. But as his low scoring totals with the NTDP might suggest, he still needs to find a way to put it all together to be more effective against top competition. Playing college hockey should give him the time to develop those hockey instincts.
NHL Central Scouting rated Hoeffel #22 in their final rankings, up from 24 in the mid-term rankings. That would indicate that Hoeffel would be picked towards the end of the first round, though he could slip down well into the second round due to his injury and not being able to play at the World Championships.
Hoeffel will head to Minnesota next fall. Much like Jimmy O'Brien last year, Hoeffel could get stuck on one of the lower lines and not see a lot of icetime, especially in special teams situations. But given a year or two to develop, Hoeffel should emerge as one of the top threats for the Gophers. Whichever team drafts him would probably best be served by letting him play at least 3 seasons of college hockey.
Biggest Strength: Goal-scoring ability
Needs to Improve: Hockey sense
Further Reading:
NTDP Feature December 1, 2006
NHL Draft Prospect: Ryan McDonagh
The next prospect we'll look at is Cretin-Derham Hall defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
McDonagh has been a player that has flown under the radar. He wasn't invited to the NTDP tryout camp in 2005, though some scouts felt that he was a very underrated player. In December of his junior year of high school, he was offered scholarships from St. Cloud, Minnesota-Duluth, and Wisconsin, and McDonagh chose to commit to Wisconsin. McDonagh's big break came during the 2006 Minnesota State High School tournament, when Cretin-Derham Hall won the state championship.
McDonagh's solid play carried over into his senior season, where he won Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Award. He is the first player from a private school to win the award. He also earned the opportunity to skate with Team USA at the World U18 Championships.
McDonagh really opened eyes when he was rated 12th in the the NHL Central Scouting Bureau Mid-term Rankings. He moved up to 11th in the final rankings. Red Line Report had McDonagh rated 10th after being impressed with the way he handled the speed of the U18 tourney. He'll likely be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round.
McDonagh's play has drawn comparisons to Chris Chelios. He's a solid defender that can make the occasional offensive contribution. He also plays with a nice mean streak, and has shown great leadership abilities. He plays like a prototypical NHL defenseman.
McDonagh will head to Wisconsin next fall. It's unlikely that he'll leave after his freshman. If he develops into a top player, he could leave Wisconsin as early as the end of the his sophomore season.
Biggest Strength: Leadership Ability
Needs to Improve: Consistency- Playing high school hockey in Minnesota, McDonagh hasn't faced top-notch competition night in and night out yet. He may face a bit of an adjustment at Wisconsin.
Further Reading:
Is Ryan McDonagh The Next Chris Chelios?
McDonagh has been a player that has flown under the radar. He wasn't invited to the NTDP tryout camp in 2005, though some scouts felt that he was a very underrated player. In December of his junior year of high school, he was offered scholarships from St. Cloud, Minnesota-Duluth, and Wisconsin, and McDonagh chose to commit to Wisconsin. McDonagh's big break came during the 2006 Minnesota State High School tournament, when Cretin-Derham Hall won the state championship.
McDonagh's solid play carried over into his senior season, where he won Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Award. He is the first player from a private school to win the award. He also earned the opportunity to skate with Team USA at the World U18 Championships.
McDonagh really opened eyes when he was rated 12th in the the NHL Central Scouting Bureau Mid-term Rankings. He moved up to 11th in the final rankings. Red Line Report had McDonagh rated 10th after being impressed with the way he handled the speed of the U18 tourney. He'll likely be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round.
McDonagh's play has drawn comparisons to Chris Chelios. He's a solid defender that can make the occasional offensive contribution. He also plays with a nice mean streak, and has shown great leadership abilities. He plays like a prototypical NHL defenseman.
McDonagh will head to Wisconsin next fall. It's unlikely that he'll leave after his freshman. If he develops into a top player, he could leave Wisconsin as early as the end of the his sophomore season.
Biggest Strength: Leadership Ability
Needs to Improve: Consistency- Playing high school hockey in Minnesota, McDonagh hasn't faced top-notch competition night in and night out yet. He may face a bit of an adjustment at Wisconsin.
Further Reading:
Is Ryan McDonagh The Next Chris Chelios?
NHL Draft Prospect: Patrick White
Next on our list of NHL Draft prospects is Grand Rapids HS forward Patrick White.
White grew up playing hockey in the Grand Rapids, Minnesota hockey association. After playing his sophomore year for Grand Rapids High School, White was invited to the NTDP's tryout camp. USHR.com said, "Just OK on the first day, came on the second day, suffered a deep thigh bruise and didn’t play the third day. Strong skater. Good puck skills, good hockey sense, does everything well."
White's stock began to drop a bit heading into his junior year. I wasn't overly impressed with him in limited viewing at the 2005 HS Elite League: "White started the year pretty high on the '07 recruiting board, but has slowly faded as he hasn't lived up to his hype. He had a couple bad shifts and took a bad penalty in the time I saw and certainly did nothing to help his position on the prospect board."
But his stock rose again that spring, and has remained high ever since. It began when White went on a tear at the end of the high school season. He was a key factor in Grand Rapids surprising run to the Minnesota High School state championship game. That played earned him a scholarship offer to Minnesota, which he accepted last June.
A few weeks later, I was impressed with him at Minnesota's Model Camp: "He looks so much better than he did last year. A big part of it is probably confidence. He was good, but not really dominate on offense, but I thought he was excellent defensively. I don't think he'll be a star at the next level, but he'll be a player that Gopher fans are very happy to have." and at the Select 17 Festival: "
On the other side of the ice, the more I see Pat White, the more I'm convinced he'll be a first round draft pick next summer. He had another great performance. Even though he was held off the scoresheet, he was still making his presence felt on the ice."
White was offered a spot on the NTDP team, but chose instead to return to Grand Rapids for his senior year of high school. He got off to a slow start in his senior year of high school. He sprained his ankle in a preseason game and it took over half the season for him to recover. White returned to full health in time for the section playoffs, and led Grand Rapids back to the state tournament, where I said this about his play: "Pat White(Minnesota commit) was easily the best player on the ice. He's incredibly strong, and a smart hockey player. I was very impressed."
After his high school season, White went to Tri-City of the USHL, where he scored 8 goals and one assist in 12 games, and registed a +5 +/- rating. He also played for the US U18 team at the World Championships.
White is incredibly strong with the puck. In last year's state championship game, Roseau head coach Scott Oliver instructed his players to try and play off White, because of his ability to bounce off of checks. White also has a hard, accurate shot which allows him to score a lot of goals. He is also responsible on his own end of the ice, which should make him even more attractive to NHL teams.
White was ranked 23rd in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau Final Rankings, which was up from 25 in the Mid-term Rankings. White will likely be on the borderline between the first and the second round.
White will head to the University of Minnesota next season. Whichever team drafts him will likely want White to play at least 2 or three years as he develops physically. White has a great deal of strength, but there is a big difference between being high school-strong and NHL-strong, and it takes time to build that strength. White projects to a solid two-way player that can be a solid finisher on a powerplay. White is one of the more complete players in the draft, with no glaring weaknesses. It will just be a matter of how he continues to develop.
Biggest strength: Goal-scoring ability
Needs to Improve: Strength
Further Reading:
Research on Ice feature: Pat White March 12, 2007
White grew up playing hockey in the Grand Rapids, Minnesota hockey association. After playing his sophomore year for Grand Rapids High School, White was invited to the NTDP's tryout camp. USHR.com said, "Just OK on the first day, came on the second day, suffered a deep thigh bruise and didn’t play the third day. Strong skater. Good puck skills, good hockey sense, does everything well."
White's stock began to drop a bit heading into his junior year. I wasn't overly impressed with him in limited viewing at the 2005 HS Elite League: "White started the year pretty high on the '07 recruiting board, but has slowly faded as he hasn't lived up to his hype. He had a couple bad shifts and took a bad penalty in the time I saw and certainly did nothing to help his position on the prospect board."
But his stock rose again that spring, and has remained high ever since. It began when White went on a tear at the end of the high school season. He was a key factor in Grand Rapids surprising run to the Minnesota High School state championship game. That played earned him a scholarship offer to Minnesota, which he accepted last June.
A few weeks later, I was impressed with him at Minnesota's Model Camp: "He looks so much better than he did last year. A big part of it is probably confidence. He was good, but not really dominate on offense, but I thought he was excellent defensively. I don't think he'll be a star at the next level, but he'll be a player that Gopher fans are very happy to have." and at the Select 17 Festival: "
On the other side of the ice, the more I see Pat White, the more I'm convinced he'll be a first round draft pick next summer. He had another great performance. Even though he was held off the scoresheet, he was still making his presence felt on the ice."
White was offered a spot on the NTDP team, but chose instead to return to Grand Rapids for his senior year of high school. He got off to a slow start in his senior year of high school. He sprained his ankle in a preseason game and it took over half the season for him to recover. White returned to full health in time for the section playoffs, and led Grand Rapids back to the state tournament, where I said this about his play: "Pat White(Minnesota commit) was easily the best player on the ice. He's incredibly strong, and a smart hockey player. I was very impressed."
After his high school season, White went to Tri-City of the USHL, where he scored 8 goals and one assist in 12 games, and registed a +5 +/- rating. He also played for the US U18 team at the World Championships.
White is incredibly strong with the puck. In last year's state championship game, Roseau head coach Scott Oliver instructed his players to try and play off White, because of his ability to bounce off of checks. White also has a hard, accurate shot which allows him to score a lot of goals. He is also responsible on his own end of the ice, which should make him even more attractive to NHL teams.
White was ranked 23rd in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau Final Rankings, which was up from 25 in the Mid-term Rankings. White will likely be on the borderline between the first and the second round.
White will head to the University of Minnesota next season. Whichever team drafts him will likely want White to play at least 2 or three years as he develops physically. White has a great deal of strength, but there is a big difference between being high school-strong and NHL-strong, and it takes time to build that strength. White projects to a solid two-way player that can be a solid finisher on a powerplay. White is one of the more complete players in the draft, with no glaring weaknesses. It will just be a matter of how he continues to develop.
Biggest strength: Goal-scoring ability
Needs to Improve: Strength
Further Reading:
Research on Ice feature: Pat White March 12, 2007
NHL Draft Prospect: Ian Cole
We’ll continue our 2007 NHL Draft coverage with a look at some individual players. Today, we’ll look at NTDP defenseman Ian Cole.
Cole is originally a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and played his early years of hockey in the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey Association. As he started to develop into a top prospect, Cole moved on to the famed Compuware AAA program. When he was 15, he chose to play closer to Ann Arbor with the Victory Honda Midget Minor team.
That spring, he was offered a spot on the NTDP team. Cole was known as a strong, physical defenseman, but there were questions about his foot speed and skating ability. Notre Dame was very interested in him, however. Cole was familiar with Notre Dame because he had been coached by Notre Dame assistant Andy Slaggert. He also received interest from Michigan and Wisconsin. In the end, Cole picked Notre Dame and became Jeff Jackson’s first ever recruit at Notre Dame.
With the NTDP, Cole continued to develop thanks to his impressive work ethic. He gained 20 lbs. in the weight room to put over 200 lbs. That size not only makes him effective physically, it also makes it extremely difficult for him to be knocked off the puck.
Cole made another jump in development in his second year with the NTDP, becoming one of the team’s top defenseman. Cole became more comfortable with his role on the team, and started to show more offensive flair, as well as playing better defensively. He capped off his NTDP career with an impressive showing at the World U18 championships where he impressed scouts as one of the team’s top defenseman.
He is probably best described as an all-around defenseman. His strongest area is probably on the defensive side, where he can use his size to his advantage. While he probably won’t rush the puck up the ice much, he can also contribute offensively with solid passes and a hard shot from the point. He may have to improve his skating a little more to play at the NHL level, but he’s improved dramatically every year and could develop even more at Notre Dame.
Cole was ranked 81st in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, though that didn’t take into account his performance at the World Championships. He moved up from 118th in the mid-term rankings. Cole could go much higher though. Red Line Report’s Kyle Woodlief went so far as to put him at 9th in his draft rankings. It’s unlikely that he will go that high, but I could see Cole being drafted as high as the second round. The most likely scenario would be that he will be drafted in the 3rd or 4th round.
Cole will likely play at least 2 or 3 years at Notre Dame before an NHL team even thinks about signing him. The Irish have big expectations for Cole, and he should develop into one of their top defenseman.
Biggest strength: Work ethic
Needs to Improve: Skating ability
NTDP Coach Ron Rolson said: “Ian’s a big, strong kid who plays with a physical presence. He’s solid defensively and keeps the game simple. Ian has a great work ethic and is able to dominate opponents physically.”
Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said: "Ian is a solid defenseman who has good vision on the ice and will give us a great presence because of the way he plays the game. He's a big, gritty kid who is strong in the corners and in front of the net. He's a solid two-way defenseman who puts an emphasis on the physical aspect of the game. He will be a top collegiate defenseman for us in the years to come."
Further Reading:
"Cole Mining" from Paul Shaheen's Research on Ice June 22, 2005.
NTDP Feature November 4, 2005
NTDP Feature March 30, 2007
Cole is originally a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and played his early years of hockey in the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey Association. As he started to develop into a top prospect, Cole moved on to the famed Compuware AAA program. When he was 15, he chose to play closer to Ann Arbor with the Victory Honda Midget Minor team.
That spring, he was offered a spot on the NTDP team. Cole was known as a strong, physical defenseman, but there were questions about his foot speed and skating ability. Notre Dame was very interested in him, however. Cole was familiar with Notre Dame because he had been coached by Notre Dame assistant Andy Slaggert. He also received interest from Michigan and Wisconsin. In the end, Cole picked Notre Dame and became Jeff Jackson’s first ever recruit at Notre Dame.
With the NTDP, Cole continued to develop thanks to his impressive work ethic. He gained 20 lbs. in the weight room to put over 200 lbs. That size not only makes him effective physically, it also makes it extremely difficult for him to be knocked off the puck.
Cole made another jump in development in his second year with the NTDP, becoming one of the team’s top defenseman. Cole became more comfortable with his role on the team, and started to show more offensive flair, as well as playing better defensively. He capped off his NTDP career with an impressive showing at the World U18 championships where he impressed scouts as one of the team’s top defenseman.
He is probably best described as an all-around defenseman. His strongest area is probably on the defensive side, where he can use his size to his advantage. While he probably won’t rush the puck up the ice much, he can also contribute offensively with solid passes and a hard shot from the point. He may have to improve his skating a little more to play at the NHL level, but he’s improved dramatically every year and could develop even more at Notre Dame.
Cole was ranked 81st in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings, though that didn’t take into account his performance at the World Championships. He moved up from 118th in the mid-term rankings. Cole could go much higher though. Red Line Report’s Kyle Woodlief went so far as to put him at 9th in his draft rankings. It’s unlikely that he will go that high, but I could see Cole being drafted as high as the second round. The most likely scenario would be that he will be drafted in the 3rd or 4th round.
Cole will likely play at least 2 or 3 years at Notre Dame before an NHL team even thinks about signing him. The Irish have big expectations for Cole, and he should develop into one of their top defenseman.
Biggest strength: Work ethic
Needs to Improve: Skating ability
NTDP Coach Ron Rolson said: “Ian’s a big, strong kid who plays with a physical presence. He’s solid defensively and keeps the game simple. Ian has a great work ethic and is able to dominate opponents physically.”
Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said: "Ian is a solid defenseman who has good vision on the ice and will give us a great presence because of the way he plays the game. He's a big, gritty kid who is strong in the corners and in front of the net. He's a solid two-way defenseman who puts an emphasis on the physical aspect of the game. He will be a top collegiate defenseman for us in the years to come."
Further Reading:
"Cole Mining" from Paul Shaheen's Research on Ice June 22, 2005.
NTDP Feature November 4, 2005
NTDP Feature March 30, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Pat White
(The following story was written by me for the Research on Ice newsletter last March)
Grand Rapids forward Pat White was faced with a number of different options for his future after leading Grand Rapids to the Minnesota Class AA championship game last season. He could have spent his senior year of high school in Ann Arbor Michigan, playing for the National Team Development Program and wearing a Team USA jersey, or he could have chosen to head to the USHL where he would play more games and face stronger competition. But for White, the decision to stay in Grand Rapids for his final year of high school was an easy one.
“That game right there is the best example of why I came back for my senior year,” said White, after scoring two goals to lead his team to a victory over the tournament’s top seed, Edina in front of a sellout crowd at the Xcel Energy Center. “There’s nothing more that I could ask for than just playing one hockey game out there. I’d give anything in the world to for it. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget it. All my friends and buddies are in the locker room, we’ve been together all the way together all the way and I don’t think I could leave them.”
Things haven’t been always been as fun and rewarding for White this season. White suffered a sprained ankle in a preseason scrimmage, which forced him to play the first part of the season at less than his full effectiveness, before sidelining him for a few games while he tried to let his ankle heal.
“It doesn’t get much more frustrating than that. You sit up in the stands and you watch your team win, and you watch your team lose. When the team wins you want to be out there to celebrate with them, and when the team doesn’t come out on top you’re feeling the exact opposite. I want to contribute to the team, and I want to help them win hockey games.
White’s ankle now feels better, to the point that it no longer has to worry about it on the ice.
“I guess I’d say it’s 100% now. I hope it is, anyway. I’m certainly not thinking about anymore.”
White’s return to health has been a big boost to Grand Rapids. Some losses in the first half of the season while White was battling injury made Grand Rapids the third seed in Section 7AA, but with White at full strength, Grand Rapids knocked off second seeded Duluth East in overtime, with White scoring the game-winner, and then beat top-seed Cloquet in the final, where White added another goal. After defeating Edina, Grand Rapids proved themselves as one of the best teams in the state with White healthy.
Once his high school season is over, White will still end up with the opportunity to wear a Team USA jersey. White will join the US U18 team that will travel to Finland for the World Championships.
When asked which he would he would prefer, if he had to choose between winning a state title and winning a gold medal, White responded, “I don’t know if I could choose off the top of my head. Either one would probably feel better than anything else.”
If White continues his stellar play, he just might get both.
Grand Rapids forward Pat White was faced with a number of different options for his future after leading Grand Rapids to the Minnesota Class AA championship game last season. He could have spent his senior year of high school in Ann Arbor Michigan, playing for the National Team Development Program and wearing a Team USA jersey, or he could have chosen to head to the USHL where he would play more games and face stronger competition. But for White, the decision to stay in Grand Rapids for his final year of high school was an easy one.
“That game right there is the best example of why I came back for my senior year,” said White, after scoring two goals to lead his team to a victory over the tournament’s top seed, Edina in front of a sellout crowd at the Xcel Energy Center. “There’s nothing more that I could ask for than just playing one hockey game out there. I’d give anything in the world to for it. I don’t think I’m ever going to forget it. All my friends and buddies are in the locker room, we’ve been together all the way together all the way and I don’t think I could leave them.”
Things haven’t been always been as fun and rewarding for White this season. White suffered a sprained ankle in a preseason scrimmage, which forced him to play the first part of the season at less than his full effectiveness, before sidelining him for a few games while he tried to let his ankle heal.
“It doesn’t get much more frustrating than that. You sit up in the stands and you watch your team win, and you watch your team lose. When the team wins you want to be out there to celebrate with them, and when the team doesn’t come out on top you’re feeling the exact opposite. I want to contribute to the team, and I want to help them win hockey games.
White’s ankle now feels better, to the point that it no longer has to worry about it on the ice.
“I guess I’d say it’s 100% now. I hope it is, anyway. I’m certainly not thinking about anymore.”
White’s return to health has been a big boost to Grand Rapids. Some losses in the first half of the season while White was battling injury made Grand Rapids the third seed in Section 7AA, but with White at full strength, Grand Rapids knocked off second seeded Duluth East in overtime, with White scoring the game-winner, and then beat top-seed Cloquet in the final, where White added another goal. After defeating Edina, Grand Rapids proved themselves as one of the best teams in the state with White healthy.
Once his high school season is over, White will still end up with the opportunity to wear a Team USA jersey. White will join the US U18 team that will travel to Finland for the World Championships.
When asked which he would he would prefer, if he had to choose between winning a state title and winning a gold medal, White responded, “I don’t know if I could choose off the top of my head. Either one would probably feel better than anything else.”
If White continues his stellar play, he just might get both.
Friday, May 25, 2007
WCHA Goalies
Alaska-Anchorage
The Situation: Jon Olthuis is back for his second year, along with freshman Matt Gordon.
Survey Says: Olthuis should be the starter, at least to start the season. If Gordon plays well, he may earn more playing time.
Colorado College
The Situation: The Tigers lose Matt Zaba. Junior Drew O'Connell was highly-touted coming out of juniors, but has struggled whenever he has gotten playing time. Freshman Richard Bachmann started off slowly in the USHL, but played well in the second half of the season.
Survey Says: The door is wide open for Bachmann to earn the starting role. Goaltending probably won't be a strong point for the Tigers though.
Denver
The Situation: Peter Mannino is back for his final year, and should be backed up by freshman Marc Cheverie.
Survey Says: Cheverie struggled this past season in juniors. Mannino shouldn't face a ton of competition for playing time.
Michigan Tech
The Situation: The Huskies return two top goalies in Michael-Lee Teslak and Robbie Nolan.
Survey Says: The Huskies duo should be one of the best in the nation.
Minnesota
The Situation: Junior Jeff Frazee and freshman Alex Kangas will compete for playing time.
Survey Says: Both are talented goalies. I think they will split time for most of the regular season, with Frazee playing in the playoffs.
Minnesota State
The Situation: The Mavericks return juniors Mike Zacharias and Dan Tormey, and freshman Austin Lee.
Survey Says: I think Tormey and Zacharias will both be great this season. If the defense plays well in front of them, they should be right up there with Teslak and Nolan.
Minnesota-Duluth
The Situation: Alex Stalock is back for his second season, and Kenny Reiter will join the Bulldogs.
Survey Says: If Stalock reigns back some of his aggression, he could be a very good goalie. Reiter will likely be the back-up.
North Dakota
The Situation: Same as last year. Phillippe Lamoureux will be the starter with Anthony Grieco as the back-up.
Survey Says: Lamoureux isn't a great goalie, but has shown the ability to rise to the occasion when needed. He should be a good anchor on a talent Sioux team.
St. Cloud
The Situation: Jase Weslosky will take over for Bobby Goepfert as the starter, with Dan Dunn as the back-up.
Survey Says: Weslosky was great in his first couple of starts, then really struggled at the end of the year. Still, the college experience should really help him this year. He won't be Goepfert, but he'll be good enough.
Wisconsin
The Situation: Brian Elliott is gone for the Badgers. Shane Connelly and Scott Gudmanson will compete for playing time.
Survey Says: Connelly struggled early on in his career, but the plan was always to have him ready to start as a junior, which I think he'll do pretty well playing in front of Wisconsin's stout defense.
The Situation: Jon Olthuis is back for his second year, along with freshman Matt Gordon.
Survey Says: Olthuis should be the starter, at least to start the season. If Gordon plays well, he may earn more playing time.
Colorado College
The Situation: The Tigers lose Matt Zaba. Junior Drew O'Connell was highly-touted coming out of juniors, but has struggled whenever he has gotten playing time. Freshman Richard Bachmann started off slowly in the USHL, but played well in the second half of the season.
Survey Says: The door is wide open for Bachmann to earn the starting role. Goaltending probably won't be a strong point for the Tigers though.
Denver
The Situation: Peter Mannino is back for his final year, and should be backed up by freshman Marc Cheverie.
Survey Says: Cheverie struggled this past season in juniors. Mannino shouldn't face a ton of competition for playing time.
Michigan Tech
The Situation: The Huskies return two top goalies in Michael-Lee Teslak and Robbie Nolan.
Survey Says: The Huskies duo should be one of the best in the nation.
Minnesota
The Situation: Junior Jeff Frazee and freshman Alex Kangas will compete for playing time.
Survey Says: Both are talented goalies. I think they will split time for most of the regular season, with Frazee playing in the playoffs.
Minnesota State
The Situation: The Mavericks return juniors Mike Zacharias and Dan Tormey, and freshman Austin Lee.
Survey Says: I think Tormey and Zacharias will both be great this season. If the defense plays well in front of them, they should be right up there with Teslak and Nolan.
Minnesota-Duluth
The Situation: Alex Stalock is back for his second season, and Kenny Reiter will join the Bulldogs.
Survey Says: If Stalock reigns back some of his aggression, he could be a very good goalie. Reiter will likely be the back-up.
North Dakota
The Situation: Same as last year. Phillippe Lamoureux will be the starter with Anthony Grieco as the back-up.
Survey Says: Lamoureux isn't a great goalie, but has shown the ability to rise to the occasion when needed. He should be a good anchor on a talent Sioux team.
St. Cloud
The Situation: Jase Weslosky will take over for Bobby Goepfert as the starter, with Dan Dunn as the back-up.
Survey Says: Weslosky was great in his first couple of starts, then really struggled at the end of the year. Still, the college experience should really help him this year. He won't be Goepfert, but he'll be good enough.
Wisconsin
The Situation: Brian Elliott is gone for the Badgers. Shane Connelly and Scott Gudmanson will compete for playing time.
Survey Says: Connelly struggled early on in his career, but the plan was always to have him ready to start as a junior, which I think he'll do pretty well playing in front of Wisconsin's stout defense.
CCHA Goalies
Alaska
The situation: Chad Johnson and Wylie Rogers both return. Both had down years last season, but have a lot of talent.
Survey Says: They can prevent goals, but can they also score them for the 'Nooks?
Bowling Green
The situation: Goalie has been one of the biggest holes for BG ever since Jordan Sigalet left. Jimmy Spratt has had awful statistics, and last year, freshman Eddie Neville didn't do much better. NTDP goalie Josh Unice will be joining the team and should have every opportunity to win the starting job.
Survey Says: BG needs Unice to be very, very good, or it could be another disastrous season.
Ferris State
The situation: Mitch O'Keefe won the starting job over Derek MacIntyre two seasons ago, but didn't play all that well last season. Freshman Pat Nagle will join the Bulldogs after being one of the NAHL's better goalies.
Survey Says: If O'Keefe can't return to his freshman season form, Nagle could earn a lot of playing time.
Lake Superior
The Situation: The Lakers lost a great goalie in Jeff Jakaitis. Pat Inglis played well in limited minutes last season. Brian Mahoney-Wilson will also compete for playing time.
Survey Says: I think Inglis will be the full-time starter and will surprise people by having a great year.
Miami
The Situation: Jeff Zatkoff and Charlie Effinger have both been very good and are both back for next season.
Survey Says: More of the same from the RedHawks goalie duo.
Michigan
The Situation: The maligned Billy Sauer will be back as a junior. Freshman Bryan Hogan will compete for playing time, as will freshman Shawn Hunwick.
Survey Says: Michigan fans would love to see Hogan win the job, but Sauer will likely be the starter the majority of the time. Sauer made strides last season, and should make another big stride this season.
Michigan State
The Situation: Jeff Lerg is back for his junior season.
Survey Says: It will be impossible for Lerg to live up to the legend he built in the four NCAA tournament games last season, but he should still be an exceptionally solid goalie.
Nebraska-Omaha
The Situation: Jeremie Dupont was one of college hockey's youngest players last season. He split time with Jerad Kaufmann.
Survey Says: With an extra year of experience, Dupont should be better, and should see the majority of the playing time.
Northern Michigan
The Situation: The Wildcats have sophomore Brian Stewart, freshman Reid Ellingson, and returnee Derek Janzen.
Survey Says: Stewart may get more playing time to start the season, but Ellingson is likely the long-term solution for Northern.
Notre Dame
The Situation: Notre Dame lost Hobey candidate David Brown to graduation. The Irish will have two former NTDP goalies in junior Jordan Pearce and freshman Brad Phillips.
Survey Says: Pearce hasn't been outstanding in his limited playing time. I think the two may split time to start the season, with one emerging as the starter later in the year.
Ohio State
The Situation: Joe Palmer will be back for his second year.
Survey Says: Palmer has a lot of talent, and should get even better this season.
Western Michigan
The Situation: I don't think Daniel Bellissimo will be returning for his senior season. That leaves sophomore Riley Gill and freshman Jerry Kuhn to compete for playing time.
Survey Says: Gill played very well as a freshman, and should continue to be the starter.
The situation: Chad Johnson and Wylie Rogers both return. Both had down years last season, but have a lot of talent.
Survey Says: They can prevent goals, but can they also score them for the 'Nooks?
Bowling Green
The situation: Goalie has been one of the biggest holes for BG ever since Jordan Sigalet left. Jimmy Spratt has had awful statistics, and last year, freshman Eddie Neville didn't do much better. NTDP goalie Josh Unice will be joining the team and should have every opportunity to win the starting job.
Survey Says: BG needs Unice to be very, very good, or it could be another disastrous season.
Ferris State
The situation: Mitch O'Keefe won the starting job over Derek MacIntyre two seasons ago, but didn't play all that well last season. Freshman Pat Nagle will join the Bulldogs after being one of the NAHL's better goalies.
Survey Says: If O'Keefe can't return to his freshman season form, Nagle could earn a lot of playing time.
Lake Superior
The Situation: The Lakers lost a great goalie in Jeff Jakaitis. Pat Inglis played well in limited minutes last season. Brian Mahoney-Wilson will also compete for playing time.
Survey Says: I think Inglis will be the full-time starter and will surprise people by having a great year.
Miami
The Situation: Jeff Zatkoff and Charlie Effinger have both been very good and are both back for next season.
Survey Says: More of the same from the RedHawks goalie duo.
Michigan
The Situation: The maligned Billy Sauer will be back as a junior. Freshman Bryan Hogan will compete for playing time, as will freshman Shawn Hunwick.
Survey Says: Michigan fans would love to see Hogan win the job, but Sauer will likely be the starter the majority of the time. Sauer made strides last season, and should make another big stride this season.
Michigan State
The Situation: Jeff Lerg is back for his junior season.
Survey Says: It will be impossible for Lerg to live up to the legend he built in the four NCAA tournament games last season, but he should still be an exceptionally solid goalie.
Nebraska-Omaha
The Situation: Jeremie Dupont was one of college hockey's youngest players last season. He split time with Jerad Kaufmann.
Survey Says: With an extra year of experience, Dupont should be better, and should see the majority of the playing time.
Northern Michigan
The Situation: The Wildcats have sophomore Brian Stewart, freshman Reid Ellingson, and returnee Derek Janzen.
Survey Says: Stewart may get more playing time to start the season, but Ellingson is likely the long-term solution for Northern.
Notre Dame
The Situation: Notre Dame lost Hobey candidate David Brown to graduation. The Irish will have two former NTDP goalies in junior Jordan Pearce and freshman Brad Phillips.
Survey Says: Pearce hasn't been outstanding in his limited playing time. I think the two may split time to start the season, with one emerging as the starter later in the year.
Ohio State
The Situation: Joe Palmer will be back for his second year.
Survey Says: Palmer has a lot of talent, and should get even better this season.
Western Michigan
The Situation: I don't think Daniel Bellissimo will be returning for his senior season. That leaves sophomore Riley Gill and freshman Jerry Kuhn to compete for playing time.
Survey Says: Gill played very well as a freshman, and should continue to be the starter.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
USHL Draft Live Blog
Here are the results from this year's USHL Entry Draft. For more information, check out the Western College Hockey Blog
10 minutes in, and nothing has been posted yet.
1st Round 1st Overall Chicago Selects: Will Weber, Gaylord HS(MI)
I thought Weber might go first overall. He's a big, offensive-minded defenseman that is an excellent skater. He kind of reminds me of Derrick Lapoint last year. He's committed to Miami for 2008.
1st Round 2nd Overall Ohio Selects: Alden Hirschfeld, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)
8th Round 77th Overall Green Bay Selects: Taylor Johnson, White Bear Lake
Johnson is a very talented defenseman from White Bear Lake. I believe he'll be a senior next season, so he might only play before/after the USHL season.
8th Round 78th Overall Waterloo Selects: Matt Marshall, Nobles Prep
One of the more talented players from out East.
Sioux City done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
I don't remember a lot about Hirschfeld after seeing him early in the year, but he is also committed to Miami for 2008.
1st Round 3rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Joe Schiller, Detroit Lakes HS
I didn't think Schiller would go this high. He's an excellent stickhandler/playmaker with pretty decent size. He's committed to Minnesota State for 2008.
1st Round 4th Overall Indiana Selects: Pat Cullen, Washington Jr. Nationals
Cullen is an interesting prospect, because he played in such a non-traditional area. He had an excellent year, but was playing HS hockey in Maryland. He's committed to RPI for 2008.
1st Round 5th Overall Des Moines Selects: Trent Vogelhuber, St. Louis Jr. Bandits(NAHL)
The third Miami recruit in the first round of the draft. I can't say I know a whole lot about him.
1st Round 6th Overall Sioux City Selects: Adam Hout, LA Jr. Kings
Pretty nice defenseman. The Jr. Kings had a lot of very talented players last season.
1st Round 7th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jack Connolly, Duluth Marshall HS
I'm a huge fan of Connolly. He's small, but an excellent passer and stickhandler. He's very fun to watch. He'll also more than likely be playing two years in the USHL, so a great pick-up for Sioux Falls.
1st Round 8th Overall Chicago Selects: Aaron Schmidt, Culver
Linconln traded this pick to Chicago. I didn't get to see Culver play this year.
1st Round 9th Overall Tri-City Selects: Mike Cichy, Boston Jr. Bruins
A bit of a gamble, but a nice pick. Cichy left the NTDP and went to play for the Jr. Bruins. He'll likely play in the USHL next season, though the QMJHL will probably still make a big push for him this summer.
1st Round 10th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Matt Donovan, Dallas AAA
1st Round 11th Overall Omaha Selects: Donny Harris, NW Regulators AAA
I'm not even sure who the NW Regulators are.
1st Round 12th Overall Waterloo Selects: Drew McKenzie, Taft School
6th defenseman of the first round. McKenzie is committed to Vermont.
2nd Round 13th Overall Chicago Selects: Andrew Miller, Cranbrook Kingswood
The Steel pick up the other big prospect out of Michigan HS hockey. Miller is a smaller player, but has great hands and good scoring ability. He should be a very nice player. He's committed to Yale.
2nd Round 14th Overall Ohio Selects: Matt Leitner, Anaheim Jr. Ducks
Didn't get a chance to see Anaheim play this year.
2nd Round 15 Overall Green Bay Selects: Christian Morrissette, St. Andrews College
Committed to RPI.
2nd Round 16th Overall Indiana Selects: Timothy Syner, NO Jr. Falcons(EJHL)
2nd Round 17th Overall Des Moines Selects: Locke Jillison
Good skater and a solid two-way player. Committed to Cornell.
2nd Round 18th Overall Sioux City Selects: Steve Quailr, Rocky Mountain Wranglers
2nd Round 19th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Gabe Guentzel, Southern Minnesota Express(NAHL)
Guentzel's brother played at Sioux Falls as well. Gaber is a decent defender that doesn't really stand out, but plays a smart, quiet game.
2nd Round 20th Overall Lincoln Selects: Jeff Cecacci, Surrey Eagles(BCHL)
Only listed at 5'8". 1988 birthdate. 21 points in 53 games this year as a defenseman.
2nd Round 21st Overall Tri-City Selects: David Carle, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Carle may be ready to make the jump to the USHL next season. He's not a superstar like his brother, but he has a pretty decent mix of size and skill and should be a solid player in the USHL.
2nd Round 22nd Overall Indiana Selects: Corbin McPherson, Cowichan Valley(BCHL)
Pick traded from Cedar Rapids.
2nd Round 23rd Overall Omaha Selects: Aaron Lewadniuk, Winkler(MJHL)
Committed to Bemidji State.
2nd Round 24th Overall Waterloo Selects: Chad Billins, Alpena(NAHL)
I really like Billins. He's not huge, but he is a very smart, responsible defenseman. He's committed to Ferris State.
3rd Round 25th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Michael Juola, LA Jr. Kings
Juola is a very talented forward. He's got good skating ability and can shoot the puck.
3rd Round 26th Overall Tri-City Selects: Chris Franks, Burnsville HS
I'm really surprised that Franks lasted this long. He's a big defenseman that has great offensive potential, including a huge shot from the point.
3rd Round 27th Overall Green Bay Selects: Phil Ginand, NE Jr. Huskies
3rd Round 28th Overall Indiana Selects: Peter Boyd, Northwood School
3rd Round 29th Overall Lincoln Selects: Hunter Bishop, Vernon(BCHL)
Bishop left North Dakota midway through last year, and will be looking to find another school to play at.
3rd Round 30th Overall Sioux City Selects: Will MacDonald, Culver Academy
<3rd Round 31st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Tom Healy, Team Illinois/span>
3rd Round 32nd Overall Tri-City Selects: Colin Smith, Belle Tire
3rd Round 33rd Overall Tri-City Selects: Nick Jaskowiak, Salisbury Prep
Had committed to Harvard, though there are rumors that that offer is no longer there.
3rd Round 34th Overall Cedar Rapids: Jesse Brown, Syracuse Stars
3rd Round 35th Overall Omaha Selects: Jake Sloat, Colorado Thunderbirds
3rd Round 36th Overall Waterloo Selects: Ryan Kretzer, Springfield(NAHL)
4th Round 37th Overall Indiana Selects: Brian Harrison, Chicago Chill
4th Round 38th Overall Lincoln Selects: Dennis Brown, LA Jr. Kings
Brown is an underrated defenseman. He can skate very well and is excellent at moving the puck.
4th Round 39th Overall Green Bay Selects: Stephen Carew, Benilde-St. Margaret's
Good finishing ability.
4th Round 40th Overall Indiana Selects: Scott Darling
The first goalie of the draft isn't picked until the 4th round. Darlings is committed to Maine.
4th Round 41st Overall Des Moines Selects: Adam Henderson, Spruce Grove(AJHL)
Henderson is committed to Michigan State. He's a very talented 1990 birthdate. A nice pick-up for Des Moines if he decides to play in the US.
4th Round 42 Overall Ohio Selects: Zach Trotman, Victory Honda
4th Round 43rd Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Vince Mihalek, Gilmour Academy
4th Round 44th Overall Lincoln Selects: Kyle Delaurell, Colorado Rampage
4th Round 45th Overall Tri-City Selects: Brett Beebe, Anaheim Alliance
Beebe was one of the leading scorers at last summer's Select 16 Festival.
4th Round 46th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Justin Bruckel, Syracuse Stars
4th Round 47th Overall Des Moines Selects: Miles Winter, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)
4th Round 48th Overall Ohio Selects: Dalton Speelman, San Jose AAA
5th Round 49th Overall Green Bay Selects: Chris Connolly, Fargo-Moorhead(NAHL)
Connolly is Jack's older brother. Chris is a very talented offensive player. If he can get a good college scholarship offer for next season, he'd likely take note, but if not, he'd be an excellent overage player in the USHL.
5th Round 50th Overall Des Moines Selects: J.P. Maley
5th Round 51st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jordan Singer, Centennial HS
Singer did well at the Chicago Showcase Tournament.
5th Round 52nd Overall Chicago Selects: Brian Dowd Thayer Academy
5th Round 53rd Overall Omaha Selects: Jake Hausworth, Marquette Electros
5th Round 54th Overall Sioux City Selects: Jarrod Mermis, St. Louis Jr. B
5th Round 55th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Augie Hoffman, Valley Jr. Warriors
5th Round 56th Overall Tri-City Selects: Ian O'Brien, Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins
Only the second goalie drafted.
5th Round 57th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Terry Broadhurst
5th Round 58th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Kyle Flanagan, Cornwall
5th Round 59th Overall Omaha Selects: Richard Manley, Chicago Steel(USHL)
Apparently Chicago didn't keep him on their protected roster. Manley was with the NTDP before leaving for the USHL.
<5th Round 60th Overall Waterlook Selects: Chris Slavik, Elk River HS
Slavik is a pretty good defenseman. He was a bit overshadowed by teammate Brandon Martell this year, but he definitely has D1 talent.
6th Round 61st Overall, Chicago Selects: Eric Alexander, East Kentwood HS
Chicago continues to pick top MI HS players, and they get probably the third best player in the state in Alexander.
Ohio done drafting in Phase 1 of draft
6th Round 63rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Brian Yanovitch, Bridgewater
6th Round 64th Overall Chicago Selects: Spencer Anderson, Brampton(OPJHL)
Des Moines done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
6th Round 64th Overall Sioux City Selects: Steve Thompson, Vernon(BCHL)
6th Round 65th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Sean Escobedo, Apple Core(EJHL)
Indiana done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
6th Round 66th Overall Tri-City Selects: Tom Kleidon, Santa Fe(NAHL)
6th Round 67th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Paul Phillips, Chicago Chill
I believe he's the first 1991 birthdate drafted in this draft. He tried out for the NTDP team recently, but hasn't been selected for the team.
6th Round 68th Overall Omaha Selects: Joe Sova, Sioux City(USHL)
Apparently Sioux City wasn't holding on to Sova.
6th Round 69th Overall Waterloo Selects: Kory Kaunisto, Traverse City(NAHL)
Talented forward. Already committed to Northern Michigan.
7th Round 70th Overall Chicago Selects: Barron Smith, Chicago Mission
Smith is a '91, but very big for his age. He could have a chance to play for his hometown team next season.
Chicago done drafting in phase 1 of the draft
7th Round 71st Overall Sioux City Selects: Ben Kinne, Santa Fe(NAHL)
Kinne played at Cretin-Derham Hall HS in Minnesota. Not a huge player, but a hard worker with some decent skill.
7th Round 72nd Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Garrett Chumley, Cambridge HS
Chumley is a nice playmaker that racked up a lot of points at a smaller high school.
7th Round 73rd Overall Lincoln Selects: Jake Newton, Texas Tornado
Tri-City done drafting in phase 1 of draft
7th Round 74th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Jeff Velleca, New England Falcons
7th Round 75th Overall Omaha Selects: Nick Thielen, Moorhead HS
7th Round 76th Overall Waterloo Selects: Kevin Nugent, Taft Prep
Nugent recently committed to Notre Dame. Apparently there is a chance that he could wait to join the Irish until 2008.
7th Round 79th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Kristof Reinthaler, Dallas AAA
8th Round 80th Overall Lincoln Selects: Corey Hibbeler, Culver Academy
8th Round 81st Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Bryce Aneloski, Team Illinois
Omaha is done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
Round 8 82nd Overall Lincoln Selects: Mark Silverman, Victory Honda
Silverman is an excellent student, and has been looked at by some Ivy League schools.
Round 9 83rd Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Dan Ford, Syracuse Stars
Cedar Rapids is loving the Eastern kids this year.
Round 10 84th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Gustav Bengston, NW Regulators
That completes Phase 1 of the drafting period.
Phase 2 of the Drafting Period
Round 11 85th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Bobby Gutsch, Duluth Marshall
Gutsch has potential to make CR's team, and do quite well. He's a big hitter with decent hands. Marshall's Rob Bordson had a great year for CR last season, and Gutsch could do the same.
Round 11 86th Overall Ohio Selects: Jordy Murray, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Probably a flier. I'd guess Murray returns to Shattuck for next season.
Round 11 87th Overall Green Bay Selects: Keegan Flaherty, Duluth East HS
Flaherty is a nice player, that could try to play for GB before/after the HS season.
11th Round 88th Overall Indiana Selects: Angelo Vrachnas
11th Round 89th Overall Des Moines Selects: Mike Mosher, LA Jr. Kings
Mosher is a very talented goalie.
11th Round 90th Overall Sioux City Selects: Cody Butcher, Merritt(BCHL)
11th Round 91st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Tedd Falk, Team Wisconsin
11th Round 92nd Overall Lincoln Selects: Peter Lompado, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Another flier. Lompado will probably be playing baseball at Minnesota State next season.
11th Round 93rd Overall Tri-City Selects: Anthony DeCenzo, Hibbing HS
Another before/after HS season possibility.
11th Round 94th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Derek Arnold, Boston Jr. Bruins
11th Round 95th Overall Omaha Selects: Alex Killorn, Deerfield
Killorn is receiving some hype for this summer's NHL draft. He's committed to Harvard. He must be considering returning to Deerfield or else I think he might have gone higher.
11th Round 96th Overall Waterloo Selects: Michael Montrose, Detroit Little Caesar's
Montrose is a '91 born defenseman and is very talented.
12th Round 97th Overall Chicago Selects: Mark Anthione, Portland Jr. Pirates
12th Round 98th Overall Ohio Selects: Brian Flynn, Pomfret Prep
12th Round 99th Overall Green Bay Selects: Kyle Rank, Apple Core(EJHL)
12th Round 100th Overall Indiana Selects: Brandon Bahnemann, Rochester Lourdes HS
I'm really surprised that Bahnemann lasted this long. He's a very talented prospect that is looking to play in the USHL next season. He should make Indiana's team.
12th Round 101st Overall Des Moines Selects: Jefferson Dahl, Eau Claire HS
12th Round 102nd Overall Sioux City Selects: Justin Brossman, Vernon(BCHL)
Played at Shattuck prior to playing in BCHL.
12th Round 103rd Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jeff Rohrkemper, Grosse Pointe North HS
One of the better MI HS players this year.
12th Round 104th Overall Lincoln Selects: Brandon Richardson, Pembroke Lumber Kings
Pembroke is the program that St. Cloud's Ryan Lasch came out of.
12th Round 105th Overall Tri-City Selects: Charlie Raskob, Academy of Holy Angels
12th Round 106th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Justin Castagna, Anaheim Jr. Ducks
12th Round 107th Overall Omaha Selects: David Eddy, Woodbury HS
12th Round 108th Overall Waterloo Selects: Patrick Wey, Pittsburgh Hornets
Wey is a top 1991-born defenseman.
13th Round 109th Overall Chicago Selects: Brian O'Neill, Philly Jr. Flyers
13th Round 110th Overall Ohio Selects: Jon Merrill, Little Caesar's Midget Minor
Intresting pick. Merrill is a '92 birthdate that has already committed to Michigan.
13th Round 111th Overall Green Bay Selects: Reed Rushing, Alaska(NAHL)
13th Round 112th Overall Indiana Selects: Brandon Blandina, Lake Forest Academy
13th Round 113th Overall Des Moines Selects: David Makowski, St. Louis AAA
13th Round 114th Overall Sioux City Selects: Nate Taurence, Detroit Little Caesar's
13th Round 115th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Britton Smith, Academy of Holy Angels
Smith played very well when I saw Holy Angels play this season.
13th Round 116th Overall Lincoln Selects: Mike Guzzo, Penticton(BCHL)
13th Round 117th Overall Tri-City Selects: A.J. Treais, Little Caesar's
Treais is a '91 birthdate that is already committed to Michigan for 2009.
13th Round 118th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Robert Harrison, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)
Harrison looked like a pretty good player when I saw MV earlier this season.
13th Round 119th Overall Omaha Selects: Chris Ciotti, Gilmour Academy
13th Round 120th Overall Waterloo Selects: Corey Fienhage, Eastview HS
14th Round 121st Overall Chicago Selects: Zach Golembiewski, Belle Tire
Golembiewski seems to have been playing very well of late, and could be an excellent prospect. He's a '91 birthdate.
14th Round 122nd Overall Ohio Selects: Randy Wolcott, Avon Old Farms
14th Round 123rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Aaron Shiborowski, Benidle-St. Margaret's
Shiborowski is a talented puck-moving defenseman. He suffered a knee sprain at the Great 8 which might have dropped his stock a little, but he's still very talented.
14th Round 124th Overall Indiana Selects: Justin Jokinen, Cloquet HS
Jokinen is a talented player, that did well at the Great 8/Chicago Showcase.
14th Round 125th Overall Des Moines Selects: Jake Gardiner, Minnetonka HS
14th Round 126th Overall Sioux City Selects: Kyle Lundey, Dubuque(MNJHL)
The first Minnesota Jr. B selection.
14th Round 127th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Milan Luziach, Rocky Mountain AAA
14th Round 128th Overall Lincoln Selects: Spencer McMillan, St. Paul Academy
14th Round 129th Overall Tri-City Selects: Hakan Yumusaklar, Lakeville South HS
A goalie that seems like kind of a late-bloomer. He could surprise some people.
14th Round 130th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Sean Coughlin, Cushing Academy
14th Round 131st Overall Omaha Selects: Edwin Shea, Boston Jr. Bruins
Shea is a BC commit that will likely stay at his prep school instead of going to the USHL.
14th Round 132nd Overall Waterloo Selects: Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack
There's still a couple more rounds of the draft, but I'm gonna stop there. I'll update if anything major happens.
Worthy of Update #1- Indiana selected super-kid John Tavares in the 15th round. I can't imagine a scenario where he would end up in the USHL, but if he did, Indiana would look like freakin' geniuses.
10 minutes in, and nothing has been posted yet.
1st Round 1st Overall Chicago Selects: Will Weber, Gaylord HS(MI)
I thought Weber might go first overall. He's a big, offensive-minded defenseman that is an excellent skater. He kind of reminds me of Derrick Lapoint last year. He's committed to Miami for 2008.
1st Round 2nd Overall Ohio Selects: Alden Hirschfeld, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)
8th Round 77th Overall Green Bay Selects: Taylor Johnson, White Bear Lake
Johnson is a very talented defenseman from White Bear Lake. I believe he'll be a senior next season, so he might only play before/after the USHL season.
8th Round 78th Overall Waterloo Selects: Matt Marshall, Nobles Prep
One of the more talented players from out East.
Sioux City done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
I don't remember a lot about Hirschfeld after seeing him early in the year, but he is also committed to Miami for 2008.
1st Round 3rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Joe Schiller, Detroit Lakes HS
I didn't think Schiller would go this high. He's an excellent stickhandler/playmaker with pretty decent size. He's committed to Minnesota State for 2008.
1st Round 4th Overall Indiana Selects: Pat Cullen, Washington Jr. Nationals
Cullen is an interesting prospect, because he played in such a non-traditional area. He had an excellent year, but was playing HS hockey in Maryland. He's committed to RPI for 2008.
1st Round 5th Overall Des Moines Selects: Trent Vogelhuber, St. Louis Jr. Bandits(NAHL)
The third Miami recruit in the first round of the draft. I can't say I know a whole lot about him.
1st Round 6th Overall Sioux City Selects: Adam Hout, LA Jr. Kings
Pretty nice defenseman. The Jr. Kings had a lot of very talented players last season.
1st Round 7th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jack Connolly, Duluth Marshall HS
I'm a huge fan of Connolly. He's small, but an excellent passer and stickhandler. He's very fun to watch. He'll also more than likely be playing two years in the USHL, so a great pick-up for Sioux Falls.
1st Round 8th Overall Chicago Selects: Aaron Schmidt, Culver
Linconln traded this pick to Chicago. I didn't get to see Culver play this year.
1st Round 9th Overall Tri-City Selects: Mike Cichy, Boston Jr. Bruins
A bit of a gamble, but a nice pick. Cichy left the NTDP and went to play for the Jr. Bruins. He'll likely play in the USHL next season, though the QMJHL will probably still make a big push for him this summer.
1st Round 10th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Matt Donovan, Dallas AAA
1st Round 11th Overall Omaha Selects: Donny Harris, NW Regulators AAA
I'm not even sure who the NW Regulators are.
1st Round 12th Overall Waterloo Selects: Drew McKenzie, Taft School
6th defenseman of the first round. McKenzie is committed to Vermont.
2nd Round 13th Overall Chicago Selects: Andrew Miller, Cranbrook Kingswood
The Steel pick up the other big prospect out of Michigan HS hockey. Miller is a smaller player, but has great hands and good scoring ability. He should be a very nice player. He's committed to Yale.
2nd Round 14th Overall Ohio Selects: Matt Leitner, Anaheim Jr. Ducks
Didn't get a chance to see Anaheim play this year.
2nd Round 15 Overall Green Bay Selects: Christian Morrissette, St. Andrews College
Committed to RPI.
2nd Round 16th Overall Indiana Selects: Timothy Syner, NO Jr. Falcons(EJHL)
2nd Round 17th Overall Des Moines Selects: Locke Jillison
Good skater and a solid two-way player. Committed to Cornell.
2nd Round 18th Overall Sioux City Selects: Steve Quailr, Rocky Mountain Wranglers
2nd Round 19th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Gabe Guentzel, Southern Minnesota Express(NAHL)
Guentzel's brother played at Sioux Falls as well. Gaber is a decent defender that doesn't really stand out, but plays a smart, quiet game.
2nd Round 20th Overall Lincoln Selects: Jeff Cecacci, Surrey Eagles(BCHL)
Only listed at 5'8". 1988 birthdate. 21 points in 53 games this year as a defenseman.
2nd Round 21st Overall Tri-City Selects: David Carle, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Carle may be ready to make the jump to the USHL next season. He's not a superstar like his brother, but he has a pretty decent mix of size and skill and should be a solid player in the USHL.
2nd Round 22nd Overall Indiana Selects: Corbin McPherson, Cowichan Valley(BCHL)
Pick traded from Cedar Rapids.
2nd Round 23rd Overall Omaha Selects: Aaron Lewadniuk, Winkler(MJHL)
Committed to Bemidji State.
2nd Round 24th Overall Waterloo Selects: Chad Billins, Alpena(NAHL)
I really like Billins. He's not huge, but he is a very smart, responsible defenseman. He's committed to Ferris State.
3rd Round 25th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Michael Juola, LA Jr. Kings
Juola is a very talented forward. He's got good skating ability and can shoot the puck.
3rd Round 26th Overall Tri-City Selects: Chris Franks, Burnsville HS
I'm really surprised that Franks lasted this long. He's a big defenseman that has great offensive potential, including a huge shot from the point.
3rd Round 27th Overall Green Bay Selects: Phil Ginand, NE Jr. Huskies
3rd Round 28th Overall Indiana Selects: Peter Boyd, Northwood School
3rd Round 29th Overall Lincoln Selects: Hunter Bishop, Vernon(BCHL)
Bishop left North Dakota midway through last year, and will be looking to find another school to play at.
3rd Round 30th Overall Sioux City Selects: Will MacDonald, Culver Academy
<3rd Round 31st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Tom Healy, Team Illinois/span>
3rd Round 32nd Overall Tri-City Selects: Colin Smith, Belle Tire
3rd Round 33rd Overall Tri-City Selects: Nick Jaskowiak, Salisbury Prep
Had committed to Harvard, though there are rumors that that offer is no longer there.
3rd Round 34th Overall Cedar Rapids: Jesse Brown, Syracuse Stars
3rd Round 35th Overall Omaha Selects: Jake Sloat, Colorado Thunderbirds
3rd Round 36th Overall Waterloo Selects: Ryan Kretzer, Springfield(NAHL)
4th Round 37th Overall Indiana Selects: Brian Harrison, Chicago Chill
4th Round 38th Overall Lincoln Selects: Dennis Brown, LA Jr. Kings
Brown is an underrated defenseman. He can skate very well and is excellent at moving the puck.
4th Round 39th Overall Green Bay Selects: Stephen Carew, Benilde-St. Margaret's
Good finishing ability.
4th Round 40th Overall Indiana Selects: Scott Darling
The first goalie of the draft isn't picked until the 4th round. Darlings is committed to Maine.
4th Round 41st Overall Des Moines Selects: Adam Henderson, Spruce Grove(AJHL)
Henderson is committed to Michigan State. He's a very talented 1990 birthdate. A nice pick-up for Des Moines if he decides to play in the US.
4th Round 42 Overall Ohio Selects: Zach Trotman, Victory Honda
4th Round 43rd Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Vince Mihalek, Gilmour Academy
4th Round 44th Overall Lincoln Selects: Kyle Delaurell, Colorado Rampage
4th Round 45th Overall Tri-City Selects: Brett Beebe, Anaheim Alliance
Beebe was one of the leading scorers at last summer's Select 16 Festival.
4th Round 46th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Justin Bruckel, Syracuse Stars
4th Round 47th Overall Des Moines Selects: Miles Winter, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)
4th Round 48th Overall Ohio Selects: Dalton Speelman, San Jose AAA
5th Round 49th Overall Green Bay Selects: Chris Connolly, Fargo-Moorhead(NAHL)
Connolly is Jack's older brother. Chris is a very talented offensive player. If he can get a good college scholarship offer for next season, he'd likely take note, but if not, he'd be an excellent overage player in the USHL.
5th Round 50th Overall Des Moines Selects: J.P. Maley
5th Round 51st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jordan Singer, Centennial HS
Singer did well at the Chicago Showcase Tournament.
5th Round 52nd Overall Chicago Selects: Brian Dowd Thayer Academy
5th Round 53rd Overall Omaha Selects: Jake Hausworth, Marquette Electros
5th Round 54th Overall Sioux City Selects: Jarrod Mermis, St. Louis Jr. B
5th Round 55th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Augie Hoffman, Valley Jr. Warriors
5th Round 56th Overall Tri-City Selects: Ian O'Brien, Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins
Only the second goalie drafted.
5th Round 57th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Terry Broadhurst
5th Round 58th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Kyle Flanagan, Cornwall
5th Round 59th Overall Omaha Selects: Richard Manley, Chicago Steel(USHL)
Apparently Chicago didn't keep him on their protected roster. Manley was with the NTDP before leaving for the USHL.
<5th Round 60th Overall Waterlook Selects: Chris Slavik, Elk River HS
Slavik is a pretty good defenseman. He was a bit overshadowed by teammate Brandon Martell this year, but he definitely has D1 talent.
6th Round 61st Overall, Chicago Selects: Eric Alexander, East Kentwood HS
Chicago continues to pick top MI HS players, and they get probably the third best player in the state in Alexander.
Ohio done drafting in Phase 1 of draft
6th Round 63rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Brian Yanovitch, Bridgewater
6th Round 64th Overall Chicago Selects: Spencer Anderson, Brampton(OPJHL)
Des Moines done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
6th Round 64th Overall Sioux City Selects: Steve Thompson, Vernon(BCHL)
6th Round 65th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Sean Escobedo, Apple Core(EJHL)
Indiana done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
6th Round 66th Overall Tri-City Selects: Tom Kleidon, Santa Fe(NAHL)
6th Round 67th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Paul Phillips, Chicago Chill
I believe he's the first 1991 birthdate drafted in this draft. He tried out for the NTDP team recently, but hasn't been selected for the team.
6th Round 68th Overall Omaha Selects: Joe Sova, Sioux City(USHL)
Apparently Sioux City wasn't holding on to Sova.
6th Round 69th Overall Waterloo Selects: Kory Kaunisto, Traverse City(NAHL)
Talented forward. Already committed to Northern Michigan.
7th Round 70th Overall Chicago Selects: Barron Smith, Chicago Mission
Smith is a '91, but very big for his age. He could have a chance to play for his hometown team next season.
Chicago done drafting in phase 1 of the draft
7th Round 71st Overall Sioux City Selects: Ben Kinne, Santa Fe(NAHL)
Kinne played at Cretin-Derham Hall HS in Minnesota. Not a huge player, but a hard worker with some decent skill.
7th Round 72nd Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Garrett Chumley, Cambridge HS
Chumley is a nice playmaker that racked up a lot of points at a smaller high school.
7th Round 73rd Overall Lincoln Selects: Jake Newton, Texas Tornado
Tri-City done drafting in phase 1 of draft
7th Round 74th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Jeff Velleca, New England Falcons
7th Round 75th Overall Omaha Selects: Nick Thielen, Moorhead HS
7th Round 76th Overall Waterloo Selects: Kevin Nugent, Taft Prep
Nugent recently committed to Notre Dame. Apparently there is a chance that he could wait to join the Irish until 2008.
7th Round 79th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Kristof Reinthaler, Dallas AAA
8th Round 80th Overall Lincoln Selects: Corey Hibbeler, Culver Academy
8th Round 81st Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Bryce Aneloski, Team Illinois
Omaha is done drafting in Phase 1 of the draft
Round 8 82nd Overall Lincoln Selects: Mark Silverman, Victory Honda
Silverman is an excellent student, and has been looked at by some Ivy League schools.
Round 9 83rd Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Dan Ford, Syracuse Stars
Cedar Rapids is loving the Eastern kids this year.
Round 10 84th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Gustav Bengston, NW Regulators
That completes Phase 1 of the drafting period.
Phase 2 of the Drafting Period
Round 11 85th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Bobby Gutsch, Duluth Marshall
Gutsch has potential to make CR's team, and do quite well. He's a big hitter with decent hands. Marshall's Rob Bordson had a great year for CR last season, and Gutsch could do the same.
Round 11 86th Overall Ohio Selects: Jordy Murray, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Probably a flier. I'd guess Murray returns to Shattuck for next season.
Round 11 87th Overall Green Bay Selects: Keegan Flaherty, Duluth East HS
Flaherty is a nice player, that could try to play for GB before/after the HS season.
11th Round 88th Overall Indiana Selects: Angelo Vrachnas
11th Round 89th Overall Des Moines Selects: Mike Mosher, LA Jr. Kings
Mosher is a very talented goalie.
11th Round 90th Overall Sioux City Selects: Cody Butcher, Merritt(BCHL)
11th Round 91st Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Tedd Falk, Team Wisconsin
11th Round 92nd Overall Lincoln Selects: Peter Lompado, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Another flier. Lompado will probably be playing baseball at Minnesota State next season.
11th Round 93rd Overall Tri-City Selects: Anthony DeCenzo, Hibbing HS
Another before/after HS season possibility.
11th Round 94th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Derek Arnold, Boston Jr. Bruins
11th Round 95th Overall Omaha Selects: Alex Killorn, Deerfield
Killorn is receiving some hype for this summer's NHL draft. He's committed to Harvard. He must be considering returning to Deerfield or else I think he might have gone higher.
11th Round 96th Overall Waterloo Selects: Michael Montrose, Detroit Little Caesar's
Montrose is a '91 born defenseman and is very talented.
12th Round 97th Overall Chicago Selects: Mark Anthione, Portland Jr. Pirates
12th Round 98th Overall Ohio Selects: Brian Flynn, Pomfret Prep
12th Round 99th Overall Green Bay Selects: Kyle Rank, Apple Core(EJHL)
12th Round 100th Overall Indiana Selects: Brandon Bahnemann, Rochester Lourdes HS
I'm really surprised that Bahnemann lasted this long. He's a very talented prospect that is looking to play in the USHL next season. He should make Indiana's team.
12th Round 101st Overall Des Moines Selects: Jefferson Dahl, Eau Claire HS
12th Round 102nd Overall Sioux City Selects: Justin Brossman, Vernon(BCHL)
Played at Shattuck prior to playing in BCHL.
12th Round 103rd Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Jeff Rohrkemper, Grosse Pointe North HS
One of the better MI HS players this year.
12th Round 104th Overall Lincoln Selects: Brandon Richardson, Pembroke Lumber Kings
Pembroke is the program that St. Cloud's Ryan Lasch came out of.
12th Round 105th Overall Tri-City Selects: Charlie Raskob, Academy of Holy Angels
12th Round 106th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Justin Castagna, Anaheim Jr. Ducks
12th Round 107th Overall Omaha Selects: David Eddy, Woodbury HS
12th Round 108th Overall Waterloo Selects: Patrick Wey, Pittsburgh Hornets
Wey is a top 1991-born defenseman.
13th Round 109th Overall Chicago Selects: Brian O'Neill, Philly Jr. Flyers
13th Round 110th Overall Ohio Selects: Jon Merrill, Little Caesar's Midget Minor
Intresting pick. Merrill is a '92 birthdate that has already committed to Michigan.
13th Round 111th Overall Green Bay Selects: Reed Rushing, Alaska(NAHL)
13th Round 112th Overall Indiana Selects: Brandon Blandina, Lake Forest Academy
13th Round 113th Overall Des Moines Selects: David Makowski, St. Louis AAA
13th Round 114th Overall Sioux City Selects: Nate Taurence, Detroit Little Caesar's
13th Round 115th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Britton Smith, Academy of Holy Angels
Smith played very well when I saw Holy Angels play this season.
13th Round 116th Overall Lincoln Selects: Mike Guzzo, Penticton(BCHL)
13th Round 117th Overall Tri-City Selects: A.J. Treais, Little Caesar's
Treais is a '91 birthdate that is already committed to Michigan for 2009.
13th Round 118th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Robert Harrison, Mahoning Valley(NAHL)
Harrison looked like a pretty good player when I saw MV earlier this season.
13th Round 119th Overall Omaha Selects: Chris Ciotti, Gilmour Academy
13th Round 120th Overall Waterloo Selects: Corey Fienhage, Eastview HS
14th Round 121st Overall Chicago Selects: Zach Golembiewski, Belle Tire
Golembiewski seems to have been playing very well of late, and could be an excellent prospect. He's a '91 birthdate.
14th Round 122nd Overall Ohio Selects: Randy Wolcott, Avon Old Farms
14th Round 123rd Overall Green Bay Selects: Aaron Shiborowski, Benidle-St. Margaret's
Shiborowski is a talented puck-moving defenseman. He suffered a knee sprain at the Great 8 which might have dropped his stock a little, but he's still very talented.
14th Round 124th Overall Indiana Selects: Justin Jokinen, Cloquet HS
Jokinen is a talented player, that did well at the Great 8/Chicago Showcase.
14th Round 125th Overall Des Moines Selects: Jake Gardiner, Minnetonka HS
14th Round 126th Overall Sioux City Selects: Kyle Lundey, Dubuque(MNJHL)
The first Minnesota Jr. B selection.
14th Round 127th Overall Sioux Falls Selects: Milan Luziach, Rocky Mountain AAA
14th Round 128th Overall Lincoln Selects: Spencer McMillan, St. Paul Academy
14th Round 129th Overall Tri-City Selects: Hakan Yumusaklar, Lakeville South HS
A goalie that seems like kind of a late-bloomer. He could surprise some people.
14th Round 130th Overall Cedar Rapids Selects: Sean Coughlin, Cushing Academy
14th Round 131st Overall Omaha Selects: Edwin Shea, Boston Jr. Bruins
Shea is a BC commit that will likely stay at his prep school instead of going to the USHL.
14th Round 132nd Overall Waterloo Selects: Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Hartford Jr. Wolfpack
There's still a couple more rounds of the draft, but I'm gonna stop there. I'll update if anything major happens.
Worthy of Update #1- Indiana selected super-kid John Tavares in the 15th round. I can't imagine a scenario where he would end up in the USHL, but if he did, Indiana would look like freakin' geniuses.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Jutting and His "Peers"
Runnin' with the Dogs had a tour de force post that discussed, among other things, Minnesota State, the WCHA, and fan expectations.
The genesis of the article was the contract extension of Minnesota State coach Troy Jutting, which was at least in part based on the idea that Minnesota State has competed well against their "peer group" in the WCHA, despite not having a lot of overall success in the league.
The theory is that it is difficult for a program the size of Minnesota State to beat much larger, much more established programs like Minnesota and North Dakota on a consistent basis. The conventional wisdom is that Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Denver, and Colorado College are the "Haves" of the WCHA, while St. Cloud, Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan Tech, and Alaska-Anchorage are the "Have-Nots".
But does that logic hold up to the facts? Jutting has been head coach at Minnesota State for seven years. So I looked up the average finish for each WCHA team over the past seven years and it looks like the WCHA can be broken down even more.(Average finish in parenthesis)
1. Minnesota (2.42)
--------
2. North Dakota(3.42)
3. Denver(3.57)
4. Colorado College(3.71)
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5. Wisconsin (4.57)
6. St Cloud (4.71)
--------
7. Minnesota State (6.71)
8. Minnesota-Duluth (7.1)
--------
9. Alaska-Anchorage (8.57)
10. Michigan Tech (8.7)
What's even more interesting is that if you look at the number of top 4 finishes each team had over that time frame, you get the same order:
Minnesota: 7
North Dakota: 5
Denver: 5
Colorado College: 5
Wisconsin: 3
St. Cloud: 3
Minnesota State: 1
Minnesota-Duluth: 1
Alaska-Anchorage: 0
Michigan Tech: 0
I'll also point out that the top four teams, along with Michigan Tech, were all original members of the WCHA, and its various previous incarnations. So history and tradition seems to be a pretty big factor, except in the case of Michigan Tech's program, where other factors have hurt their success.
Another important factor looks to be population. With the exception of tiny Grand Forks, and Anchorage, which is big, but in Alaska, schools with a larger local population base seem to be more successful.
If any program looks to be slightly behind where you would expect them to be, it would probably be Minnesota-Duluth. Duluth is in a fairly hockey-rich area, and is slightly bigger than St. Cloud and Mankato. You'd probably expect Duluth to be in the Wisconsin/St. Cloud grouping. It should be noted though that Duluth has had the most postseason success of the bottom five programs, making one NCAA tournament, and getting to the Frozen Four.
So where does that put Minnesota State? It looks like they're right about where one would expect them to be. It's certainly not an extraordinary record, but it also isn't significantly lagging behind where it probably should be. I know Minnesota State fans would like to see themselves higher, but over the long run, if they're consistently finishing higher than a North Dakota, or Denver, or Colorado College, it's probably because those programs are doing something wrong. You could even argue that Wisconsin is artificially low due to the end of the Sauer era, and in another couple years, they will be in the UND/DU/CC category. There's just not a lot of opportunity for smaller programs to move up into those top spots with so many strong programs already in the league.
The genesis of the article was the contract extension of Minnesota State coach Troy Jutting, which was at least in part based on the idea that Minnesota State has competed well against their "peer group" in the WCHA, despite not having a lot of overall success in the league.
The theory is that it is difficult for a program the size of Minnesota State to beat much larger, much more established programs like Minnesota and North Dakota on a consistent basis. The conventional wisdom is that Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Denver, and Colorado College are the "Haves" of the WCHA, while St. Cloud, Minnesota State, Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan Tech, and Alaska-Anchorage are the "Have-Nots".
But does that logic hold up to the facts? Jutting has been head coach at Minnesota State for seven years. So I looked up the average finish for each WCHA team over the past seven years and it looks like the WCHA can be broken down even more.(Average finish in parenthesis)
1. Minnesota (2.42)
--------
2. North Dakota(3.42)
3. Denver(3.57)
4. Colorado College(3.71)
--------
5. Wisconsin (4.57)
6. St Cloud (4.71)
--------
7. Minnesota State (6.71)
8. Minnesota-Duluth (7.1)
--------
9. Alaska-Anchorage (8.57)
10. Michigan Tech (8.7)
What's even more interesting is that if you look at the number of top 4 finishes each team had over that time frame, you get the same order:
Minnesota: 7
North Dakota: 5
Denver: 5
Colorado College: 5
Wisconsin: 3
St. Cloud: 3
Minnesota State: 1
Minnesota-Duluth: 1
Alaska-Anchorage: 0
Michigan Tech: 0
I'll also point out that the top four teams, along with Michigan Tech, were all original members of the WCHA, and its various previous incarnations. So history and tradition seems to be a pretty big factor, except in the case of Michigan Tech's program, where other factors have hurt their success.
Another important factor looks to be population. With the exception of tiny Grand Forks, and Anchorage, which is big, but in Alaska, schools with a larger local population base seem to be more successful.
If any program looks to be slightly behind where you would expect them to be, it would probably be Minnesota-Duluth. Duluth is in a fairly hockey-rich area, and is slightly bigger than St. Cloud and Mankato. You'd probably expect Duluth to be in the Wisconsin/St. Cloud grouping. It should be noted though that Duluth has had the most postseason success of the bottom five programs, making one NCAA tournament, and getting to the Frozen Four.
So where does that put Minnesota State? It looks like they're right about where one would expect them to be. It's certainly not an extraordinary record, but it also isn't significantly lagging behind where it probably should be. I know Minnesota State fans would like to see themselves higher, but over the long run, if they're consistently finishing higher than a North Dakota, or Denver, or Colorado College, it's probably because those programs are doing something wrong. You could even argue that Wisconsin is artificially low due to the end of the Sauer era, and in another couple years, they will be in the UND/DU/CC category. There's just not a lot of opportunity for smaller programs to move up into those top spots with so many strong programs already in the league.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
APR Rates
_WCHA_
Colorado College - 985
Denver - 984
Wisconsin - 969
Minnesota - 954
Michigan Tech - 950
Minnesota Duluth - 945
St. Cloud State - 943
Minnesota State, Mankato - 942
North Dakota - 930
Alaska Anchorage - 919
_CCHA_
Notre Dame - 996
Michigan State - 986
Michigan - 984
Bowling Green State - 983
Northern Michigan - 982
Miami - 980
Western Michigan - 974
Ferris State - 970
Ohio State - 965
Alaska Fairbanks - 949
Lake Superior State - 945
Nebraska Omaha - 941
_Hockey East_
Boston College - 986
Northeastern - 977
Boston University - 970
Vermont - 968
Providence - 966
New Hampshire - 961
Maine - 959
UMass Lowell - 959
Merrimack - 957
UMass - 951
_ECACHL_
Harvard - 1000
Rensselaer - 1000
Yale - 1000
Brown - 997
Colgate - 996
Dartmouth - 990
Union - 988
Princeton - 984
Cornell - 983
St. Lawrence - 975
Clarkson - 972
Quinnipiac - 972
_CHA_
Bemidji State - 973
Wayne State - 966
Niagara - 965
Alabama Huntsville - 946
Robert Morris - 945
_Atlantic Hockey_
Holy Cross - 1000
Sacred Heart - 1000
Bentley - 995
American International - 994
Air Force - 988
Army - 969
Canisius - 961
Mercyhurst - 950
UConn - 950
RIT - 913
Colorado College - 985
Denver - 984
Wisconsin - 969
Minnesota - 954
Michigan Tech - 950
Minnesota Duluth - 945
St. Cloud State - 943
Minnesota State, Mankato - 942
North Dakota - 930
Alaska Anchorage - 919
_CCHA_
Notre Dame - 996
Michigan State - 986
Michigan - 984
Bowling Green State - 983
Northern Michigan - 982
Miami - 980
Western Michigan - 974
Ferris State - 970
Ohio State - 965
Alaska Fairbanks - 949
Lake Superior State - 945
Nebraska Omaha - 941
_Hockey East_
Boston College - 986
Northeastern - 977
Boston University - 970
Vermont - 968
Providence - 966
New Hampshire - 961
Maine - 959
UMass Lowell - 959
Merrimack - 957
UMass - 951
_ECACHL_
Harvard - 1000
Rensselaer - 1000
Yale - 1000
Brown - 997
Colgate - 996
Dartmouth - 990
Union - 988
Princeton - 984
Cornell - 983
St. Lawrence - 975
Clarkson - 972
Quinnipiac - 972
_CHA_
Bemidji State - 973
Wayne State - 966
Niagara - 965
Alabama Huntsville - 946
Robert Morris - 945
_Atlantic Hockey_
Holy Cross - 1000
Sacred Heart - 1000
Bentley - 995
American International - 994
Air Force - 988
Army - 969
Canisius - 961
Mercyhurst - 950
UConn - 950
RIT - 913
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
CHL Drafts
One note, that is somewhat related to this post. Last weekend I said that the NCAA was pushing back the time when colleges could first call a prospect. That is true, however it only applies to prospects that are living in a foreign country. That seems like a fair compromise on the NCAA's part. They're acknowledging that there is a hockey-specific problem, and seem to be giving it a hockey-specific solution.
Anyway, the Canadian major junior leagues will be holding their drafts this week. The WHL will draft '92 birthdates on Thursday, while the OHL will draft '91 birthdates on Saturday.
OHL
Theoretically, top prospects like Cam Fowler, Kenny Ryan, Beau Schmitz, Sam Calabrese, Matt Duchene, and Brad Smith won't be extremely high picks that will get signed since they have already made commitments to colleges, but I'm sure that there are teams out there working hard to advise them against sticking with their commitment. I still think Duchene is the biggest threat since he's been living in Canada, though there are definitely things working in Michigan State's favor, including the fact that he'll likely be joining the Spartans in 2008.
Article on Notre Dame recruit Cam Fowler likely bypassing the OHL.
The stock of Ferris State recruit Beau Schmitz has really risen over the past year, and despite being a defenseman that is less than 6 feet tall, he's become very highly desired by the OHL. It'd be a shame if Ferris State lost him, because he's an outstanding player.
Zach Tatrn-Erie could be a team that is very interested in securing him. The Otters draft first overall, and while they might not take him with the first pick, they could take him early in the draft and get him to sign. His USHL profile was pretty non-committal either way in terms of NCAA vs. OHL.
Brandon Maxwell- He's originally from Florida, but has been playing hockey in the middle of Ontario, and will likely draw a ton of interest from the OHL. He recently committed to the NTDP program, but there are rumors that Kitchener and London are very interested in him, and will try to get him to sign.
Andrew Agozzino-His brother played in the OHL, but his cousin, Mike Cammalleri played college hockey and did quite well for himself.
WHL
Luke Moffatt is said to have the talent to go first overall in the draft, though I get the impression that he just might choose the NCAA route, which would be great for college hockey. If he falls even a couple spots in the draft, I think that would be a good sign.
Two other big prospects on the west coast, Matt Nieto and Shane Sooth, along with Moffatt, skipped a recent WHL camp in California. That might be a good sign for college hockey, though a more cynical view would be that they are just using the threat of not reporting to leverage a better deal in the WHL.
Another player that could have gone extremely high in this year's draft is Notre Dame Midget forward Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz scored a ton of points this season, but he seems very intent on going the NCAA route. His brother, Rylan, is already committed to Colorado College.
A player that has already been drafted, but is definitely worth keeping an eye on is Langley(BCHL) forward Taylor Stefishen. Stefishen is a '90 birthdate that had an outstanding year for Langley and is one of the top prospects in the BCHL. At the beginning of last year, a Prince George newspaper reported that Stefishen told the Prince George Cougars, who drafted Stefishen, that he would report to their camp next year, but later in the season, Stefishen said he was most interested in getting a college scholarship and playing college hockey.
QMJHL
I was going to skip this draft because I don't know a ton about Quebec. THe QMJHL won't hold their draft until June 2nd. Here's a look at their Central Scouting draft list. They keep all of the Americans seperate, since most likely wouldn't report.
Steven Anthony is 3rd on their list, which is interesting since I've seen people who have right behind John Tavares in the 2009 NHL draft. Anthony has apparently shown some interest in some Eastern schools, but I'd be shocked if the Q let him get away. One of the kids ahead of him on the draft list is Louis Leblanc, who Chris Heisenberg at least lists as a potential college player. I'd guess that if he's ranked that highly, he'll probably end up in Quebec, but he has been offered scholarships from Clarkson and Vermont according to USHR.
At 8th on the list is one of Leblanc's teammates, defenseman Danny Biega. His brother Alex plays for Harvard, and his other brother, Michael, is committed to Harvard for next season.
Anyway, the Canadian major junior leagues will be holding their drafts this week. The WHL will draft '92 birthdates on Thursday, while the OHL will draft '91 birthdates on Saturday.
OHL
Theoretically, top prospects like Cam Fowler, Kenny Ryan, Beau Schmitz, Sam Calabrese, Matt Duchene, and Brad Smith won't be extremely high picks that will get signed since they have already made commitments to colleges, but I'm sure that there are teams out there working hard to advise them against sticking with their commitment. I still think Duchene is the biggest threat since he's been living in Canada, though there are definitely things working in Michigan State's favor, including the fact that he'll likely be joining the Spartans in 2008.
Article on Notre Dame recruit Cam Fowler likely bypassing the OHL.
The stock of Ferris State recruit Beau Schmitz has really risen over the past year, and despite being a defenseman that is less than 6 feet tall, he's become very highly desired by the OHL. It'd be a shame if Ferris State lost him, because he's an outstanding player.
Zach Tatrn-Erie could be a team that is very interested in securing him. The Otters draft first overall, and while they might not take him with the first pick, they could take him early in the draft and get him to sign. His USHL profile was pretty non-committal either way in terms of NCAA vs. OHL.
Brandon Maxwell- He's originally from Florida, but has been playing hockey in the middle of Ontario, and will likely draw a ton of interest from the OHL. He recently committed to the NTDP program, but there are rumors that Kitchener and London are very interested in him, and will try to get him to sign.
Andrew Agozzino-His brother played in the OHL, but his cousin, Mike Cammalleri played college hockey and did quite well for himself.
WHL
Luke Moffatt is said to have the talent to go first overall in the draft, though I get the impression that he just might choose the NCAA route, which would be great for college hockey. If he falls even a couple spots in the draft, I think that would be a good sign.
Two other big prospects on the west coast, Matt Nieto and Shane Sooth, along with Moffatt, skipped a recent WHL camp in California. That might be a good sign for college hockey, though a more cynical view would be that they are just using the threat of not reporting to leverage a better deal in the WHL.
Another player that could have gone extremely high in this year's draft is Notre Dame Midget forward Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz scored a ton of points this season, but he seems very intent on going the NCAA route. His brother, Rylan, is already committed to Colorado College.
A player that has already been drafted, but is definitely worth keeping an eye on is Langley(BCHL) forward Taylor Stefishen. Stefishen is a '90 birthdate that had an outstanding year for Langley and is one of the top prospects in the BCHL. At the beginning of last year, a Prince George newspaper reported that Stefishen told the Prince George Cougars, who drafted Stefishen, that he would report to their camp next year, but later in the season, Stefishen said he was most interested in getting a college scholarship and playing college hockey.
QMJHL
I was going to skip this draft because I don't know a ton about Quebec. THe QMJHL won't hold their draft until June 2nd. Here's a look at their Central Scouting draft list. They keep all of the Americans seperate, since most likely wouldn't report.
Steven Anthony is 3rd on their list, which is interesting since I've seen people who have right behind John Tavares in the 2009 NHL draft. Anthony has apparently shown some interest in some Eastern schools, but I'd be shocked if the Q let him get away. One of the kids ahead of him on the draft list is Louis Leblanc, who Chris Heisenberg at least lists as a potential college player. I'd guess that if he's ranked that highly, he'll probably end up in Quebec, but he has been offered scholarships from Clarkson and Vermont according to USHR.
At 8th on the list is one of Leblanc's teammates, defenseman Danny Biega. His brother Alex plays for Harvard, and his other brother, Michael, is committed to Harvard for next season.
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